Not Alone, Never Alone
by The Original Horcrux
Summary: Luna had always felt something for Neville but she'd never truly realised what that was until Neville confronted her about it after the battle of Hogwarts. Life is perfect, Luna is flying but what's flying without turbulence?
1. The Aftermath Of The Battle

Chapter 1  
The Aftermath of the Battle

"Luna" Neville's voice rang out across the courtyard where I was standing. Looking at the ruins of what used to be my old dorm. One of the beds was hanging through the roof and I could hear someone crying from the upper floor. I turned

"Neville, are you alright?" I asked, worried, he was in a bad way. Blood ran freely from a gash on his head and all his clothes were ripped and tattered. I winced as he limped over to me, the sword of Godric Gryffindor clutched tightly in his grimy hand. Neville must've seen my discomfort at the blood flowing from his head.

"What, this?" He said, raising a hand to feel the sticky blood "Doesn't hurt too much now" We stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds. The words he had spoken to me before surfaced to the front of my mind. I had barely heard them over all the noise. The bangs of spells, the screaming of frightened children, the sobs of those who had lost loved ones. I myself had shed tears. Fred Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin had been great friends to me, it was sad to see them go, especially since Tonks and Lupin had just had a baby. "Luna, there's something I have to say to you. I yelled it out before but I'm not sure you heard me" Then I realised that what I'd thought he'd said had been true. He was shaking, his mouth opened to say it again. I placed a finger to his lips.

"I heard you" I whispered softly.

"And...y-you, feel th-the" He stammered. I silenced him again and nodded. Suddenly I was being kissed like never before. It was a great feeling. I always knew that I'd felt something for Neville, this boy that was so unco, so bad at magic, yet so funny and adorable. But I'd never known what it was until now. Love, It was love, ever since the day that we'd escaped the department of mysteries together we'd been exceptionally close. Neville, Ginny and I.

"Bloody Hell" Came a voice from our right. I looked up to see Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger staring at us from the doorway, holding hands. Neville and I broke up. I wiped my lips and tried to act like nothing had happened.

"Ronald" Hermione scolded, hitting Ron on the arm. I rolled my eyes pointedly at him.

"What?" Ron whispered "Neville and Luna, bloody hell Hermione, most unlikely couple in the world"

"Shut up Ronald" She hissed at him before turning to walk away. "Continue" she said, before pulling Ron away. We waited until they were out of sight. Neville seized my shoulders and kissed me passionately again. I had to stand on my toes to reach his lips, he'd gotten so tall in the past few years. It seemed an age before we finally broke up.

"I love you Luna" He said.

"I love you too Neville" I took his hand and we walked back down to the great hall. The dead must be buried and an extra few pairs of hands would be a great help to everyone. Ron seemed relatively happy, even though he'd just lost his brother. At that exact moment Neville voiced what I'd been thinking.

"D'you think that Ron and Hermione are together?" He asked. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Yes, I do. How'd you know I was thinking that?"

"I guess...it was a bit obvious" he said

"Yeah, It was" I laughed but sobered up immediately as we reached the great hall. I could see a patch of red hair crowded around a body which I knew to be Fred. Hermione was comforting Ron, who it seemed to have finally hit that his brother had died. Harry held Ginny in a tight embrace, she too was crying, but silently, tears ran down her grimy face. We made our way over to them. I hugged Ginny tightly; she'd been a great friend to me since we started Hogwarts together.

"I'm sorry" I whispered into her ear. Mrs. Weasley stood beside her husband. Her face glittered with tears yet she was not crying. She seemed to be beyond tears. Bill, Charlie and Percy stood, looking down at their brother with stony faces tears glinted in each one's eyes. George was kneeling at his twins side, tears streaming down his face, sobbing uncontrollably. Fred's mouth was turned up at the edges, he'd been laughing when he died. A good way to go for the joker. Ron left Hermione's arms and placed a hand on George's shoulder.

"George?" He said quietly, George extended an arm up towards Ron. Ron bent down and George hugged him. Percy knelt down and put his arms around George too. Bill and Charlie followed soon after. All the Weasley boys knelt by their dead brother's side, comforting the brother that he had meant the most to. Ginny left my arms and went to join in the hug. Neville put an arm around me as I began to cry. I felt awkward standing there.

"C'mon" I said to Neville "Let's leave them" He nodded and we walked across to where Lupin and Tonks lay. Their eyes were open and glassy, staring at the ceiling that they could not see. Order members walked past and shot some sparks into the air to acknowledge their colleagues deaths. No one lingered. I bent down and closed their eyes. They looked like they could be sleeping. I stood up and put my arm around Neville, he put his around me in turn. I felt Harry and Hermione join us.

"Sad Isn't it" I found myself saying.

"What? Fred?" Harry asked. He and Hermione had their arms around each other in comfort.

"Everything, everyone" I replied. Harry seized handfuls of his hair and sat down on the ground.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, bending down next to him "What happened, is it your scar?"

"No" he said

"Then what?"

"It's all my fault. My fault that George lost his twin, my fault that Teddy Lupin will never know his parents, my fault that everyone here died. They needn't have" Harry said.

"Harry, you've got to understand, whatever this is, it wasn't your fault" Hermione reassured him.

"Yeah Harry, It's not your fault" Neville agreed.

"Just out of interest, are you two together now?" Harry asked, smiling at Neville and I. I looked up at Neville and he looked down at me.

"Yes"


	2. Reparo

Chapter 2  
_Reparo_

No one had gone home. Hogwarts was still in its half ruined state, though the teachers were repairing it bit by bit. Most people slept in classrooms, those that weren't ruined of course. I lay awake on the floor of the potions classroom. The dungeons hadn't suffered much damage. Weather Neville was awake or not I couldn't tell, he had his back to me. I sat up, taking in the surroundings. The classroom was just as I had left it the day before holidays began, though the desks were magically stacked against the walls to allow more sleeping space. I scanned the room for faces I knew. My eyes immediately found a few red heads. Ron and Hermione slept a few feet away from us, Hermione's face was turned into Ron's chest and he had his arms around her. Percy slept alone on the other side of the room. Mr and Mrs Weasley slept up on the teachers' platform. Their faces had tear tracks stained into their cheeks. Others whom I didn't know also littered the floor, Students still in their robes, ex-students, families and teachers alike. I lay back down on the hard stone floor of the potions lab and waited for morning to come.

Morning came all too quickly for me. I'd fallen asleep since waking in the early hours of the morning. Everyone was filing out of the room and Neville was shaking my shoulder.

"Luna, Luna" He whispered quietly in my ear. "Come on, the whole castle's awake, the house elves are making breakfast" The house elves were still making breakfast after all that was happening. God bless them. Neville offered his hand down to me to help me get up, I accepted it gladly. Sleeping on a cold stone floor hadn't done wonders for my back.

Walking up to breakfast was different from what I was used to. Being in Ravenclaw, I'd come down to breakfast from a tower. Neville had too. It was also different, because if we walked past anything that was broken, all of us would raise our wands and repair it. Though Hogwarts was nowhere near what it was before the Death Eaters had attacked two days ago. When we arrived in the great hall, all the bodies had been moved, blood stains cleared, and the smell covered up. The four house tables were restored though no one sat according to house. Neville and I found the people we were looking for and made our way over to them. George, Ginny, Harry, Bill and Charlie sat at what used to be the Gryffindor table. I sat beside Ginny and Bill and Neville squeezed in opposite me between Charlie and George. We were joined minutes later by the rest of the Weasleys and Hermione. It was like any normal breakfast at Hogwarts, the food rose up through the tables as usual. The remaining staff, though battered and bruised, sat at the staff table at the front of the hall. Though there was a still silence in the air. Whispers of chatter were carried on the breeze that blew through the shattered window where Snape had apparated out. I tried to make conversation to relax the tension. I tried to take Ginny's mind of her brother, but it was like her spark had died along with him. Professors Flitwick, McGonagall and Sprout were walking around the Hall, repairing anything that was broken. The beautiful stained glass windows were once as they were. The chunks of stone that had flown out of the wall where the spells had hit had been restored, the great hall was almost the same as it was before the death eaters arrived. Mr Weasley seemed to want to take his family's mind off the tragedy they'd just suffered. He struck up a rather loud conversation with Harry and Hermione about what muggles do when a place is damaged as badly as Hogwarts was. I caught Neville's eye and jerked my head at the door. He nodded and we got up.

"Where to now?" He asked, taking my hand

"Somewhere where we can be alone" I smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"How about the boat shed, no one ever goes down there" He said. I nodded and we headed off in the general direction. The sun had risen over Hogwarts, it was warming on my skin. I was aware that I was filthy and probably stunk as bad. Unfortunately the showers at Hogwarts hadn't been restored yet. My father had managed to find a new house after ours was blown apart by the horn of a crumple horned snorkack. I couldn't wait to get there, to have a steaming hot shower and curl up under my blankets and sleep for days. Neville was worse than me. His wound had stopped bleeding but was congealed with blood and he walked with a distinct limp in his step. He leant on me heavily as we went down the many stairs. I couldn't stop thinking about how lucky that I was to have someone as nice and caring as Neville. My thought's immediately shifted to what would happen after Hogwarts was back in working order and we'd have to go our separate ways. Neville had completed his education, I still had my 7th year to go. Neville lived with his Grandmother, though I doubted she'd be in any fit state to take care of him after the battle. She'd been terribly injured.

As we reached the last flight of stairs before the boat shed. I saw that it was in a worse shape than the rest of the castle. The windows were smashed on one side and boats floated out in single file onto the lake. I couldn't help but suppress a giggle.

"What?" Neville said, obviously thinking I was laughing at him.

"They could be fishes, basking in the sun"

"Yeah, they could be" He laughed. When we reached the door a wave of cold dread washed over me, The sun had disappeared behind a cloud. Plunging the boat shed into darkness due to the high rocky cliff that it was built at the base of. I pushed open the door cautiously. The stench hit me like a bludger to the face. Either one of Voldemort's death eaters had crawled in here and died or it had been neglected by Filch for centuries. I turned the corner where there was a little channel where the boats were put in the water. Looking back at Neville, I saw him. Severus Snape, lying there, eyes open and glassy, blood congealing at his neck. Completely and utterly dead. I screamed.


	3. Cleaning Up

Chapter 3  
Cleaning Up

Neville wheeled around to stare at what I was screaming at. I eventually ran out of air and started to sob. Neville jumped backwards in fright when he saw Snape's body.

"Blimey, so that's what happened to him" He said shakily, like it was no big deal finding the headmaster of Hogwarts dead on the floor. I shut my eyes, hoping that it would all go away. I opened my eyes to see Neville approaching him. "What do you reckon happened to him?" he asked, lifting up Snape's head to reveal a 2 inch deep cut, exposing his wind pipe and oesophagus. I let out a short squeal at the gruesome sight and Neville started, dropping Snape's head back onto his chest. "It looks like he got attacked by some snake" He said, gingerly lifting Snape's arm up to what little light we had left. "Yeah, definitely a snake" He turned around and saw me sobbing. I put my head in my hands, hoping to extinguish the horrible sight before my eyes. "Luna!" He walked over to me. "Luna, what's wrong?"

"Th-T-That's horrible" I stammered through sobs. "That Voldemort would do that to someone!"

"How do you know it was Voldemort?" He asked curiously, helping me sit down against the wall.

"He's got a huge snake Neville, you should know that, you killed it!" I exclaimed looking up at him.

"Oh, right yeah. I guess I'm a bit shaken"

"You're shaken!" I said looking at him through tears. A flurry of footsteps came from outside and Professor McGonagall, Harry and Ginny burst through the door.

"We heard someone scream" Ginny said, panting. The three of them stood in the doorway staring at Neville and I. What we would've looked like made me giggle internally. Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood sitting against the wall in a half ruined boat house.

"Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Lovegood, whatever is the matter?" McGonagall said in her thick Scottish accent. I raised my head off my knees for a few seconds, and pointed a shaky hand towards where Snape lay. Ginny, Harry and McGonagall turned slowly. Ginny's reaction was much like mine. She screamed and turned into Harry's chest, crying. Harry didn't look surprised at all. McGonagall looked shocked. "What happened to him?"

"We think it was a snake" Neville said, helping me to my feet.

"A snake?" She exclaimed, horrified.

"It was, with a bit of help from Voldemort" Harry spoke for the first time since entering the boat house.

"But How on earth could you know that Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked, turning to face Harry.

"Professor, I was there" He said. There was a sharp intake of breath from everyone. Professor McGonagall fought to steady herself, she looked on the verge of tears too.

"You were there were you?" McGonagall said breathlessly

"Yes. Ron, Hermione and I. Voldemort slit his throat then let Nagini, that's the snake, finish him off." Harry explained, still hugging Ginny tightly.

"But why?" McGonagall whispered "I thought Severus was loyal to Voldemort?"

"He was, but Voldemort was after a powerful wand. Dumbledore had it, and because Snape killed Dumbledore, He thought that Snape was the master of it so he had to kill him"

"Ah, I see – wait what?" McGonagall said.

"It's complicated Professor" He said. I'll explain when we get back up to the castle.

"Very well" McGonagall said "Mr. Longbottom, if you could please escort Ms. Lovegood back up to the castle"

"Of course Professor" Neville said. Taking my arm.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Weasely, could you please help me get Severus back up to the castle?" She asked, and Harry drew his wand. Ginny looked hesitant. "On second thoughts, Miss Weasley you'd better go up to the castle with Mr. Longbottom and Miss Lovegood." Ginny let out a long breath and hurried to join us.

I looked up at the gloomy sky. It looked like it was about to rain. Ginny and I took the steps two at a time. Wanting to get as far away from that place as possible. Neville fell into step behind us. He was slower, hindered by his injures.

"D'you reckon that Hogwarts will be right for next year?" I asked Ginny as we reached the top of the stairs and walked through the courtyard where most of the fighting had taken place.

"I'm not sure I'll be coming back next year" Ginny said, looking up at the castle with tears in her eyes.

"Why?" I asked

"Well, I'm not really sure that there's any point in completing my education. I've already proven that I'm capable of fighting dark wizards. I could be an Auror any day. Besides, I've got my OWL qualification, George left before he got his NEWTS and look at him, he's a millionaire!" I noticed that Fred's name wasn't mentioned, just Georges.

"Are you sure that this doesn't have anything to do with wanting to be where Harry is?" I teased, pushing her playfully.

"No, why would you think that?" She asked, trying to act nonchalant. I laughed

"Ginny, It's obvious that you and Harry are a couple!"

"Oh yeah!" she looked sheepish "What about you and Neville?" I looked back at him, trudging along behind us. He looked up at the sound of his name.

"What about us?"

"It's obvious that you and Neville are together!" She said, pushing me playfully back.

"I don't care" I replied. It was the truth, let people think what they think. I loved Neville and Neville loved me back. We walked in silence through the huge oak front doors. My mind drifted off into space. What did the future hold for Neville and I? I hoped it was nothing but positive, now that Voldemort was gone for good.

The Great Hall was a hubbub of activity. Professor Flitwick was sending groups out to repair parts of the castle. Ginny hurried over to join her family who were heading up to the astronomy tower by the looks of things. I stood in the doorway, wondering which group to join. Neville placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You coming?" He asked

"Coming where?" I replied, I had no knowledge that he'd been already assigned to a group.

"McGonagall wants us to help repair the side of the castle. You know the side that was blown apart."

"Sure" I replied, taking his hand and walking around to the west side of the castle. The Whomping Willow lay on its side, twitching feebly. Professor Sprout and a few other students were tending to it. Neville let out a little groan when he saw it. I knew how much he loved plants. We stood in silence, as if paying our respects to the tree. Neville broke the silence.

"Luna?" he said.

"Yeah"

"Are you alright?" I knew he didn't mean am I alright after seeing Snape.

"Apart from seeing about fifty dead bodies in two days, yeah, why do you ask?"

"It's just, you haven't mentioned, Crumple horned snorkacks, Blibbering Humdingers, Wrackspurts or Nargles in the last 48 hours."

"There's nothing wrong" I smiled " I'm just In love with you"


	4. Going Home

**A.N: Sorry if Luna doesn't sound as Dreamy as she should, it's incredibly hard to write from her point of view and have her mentioning Nargles every sentence. So I've come to a conclusion that because Luna is in love with Neville, she's becoming less Loony.**

**Sorry this chapter took so long. I'm back at muggle school and the workload is ridiculous! Not that I do it all, but you know what I mean! **

_**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and everything! I love constructive criticism so please give it. It makes my writing a whole lot better! Also if you have any suggestions on how to make Luna dreamy from her perspective, **__**PLEASE **__**PM me!**_

Chapter 4  
Going Home

"_Winguardium Leviosa_" Neville, Seamus, Ginny and I said in unison, levitating the final suit of armour back onto its plinth. It had been a week since the battle and Hogwarts looked as though the death eaters had never touched it. The magical skill of the teachers, adults and students alike was enough to get Hogwarts back into its normal, pristine state. Most people had gone home, the school wouldn't open again for education until next year. Neville and Seamus slapped each other a high five before everyone went their separate ways. Ginny walked over to where Ron, Hermione and Harry stood, she took Harry's outstretched hand and the four of them walked out into the grounds towards Hogsmeade where they could disapparate beyond the castle's protective enchantments. I saw Seamus and Dean follow them out. Ginny and Ron were the last Weasleys to leave the castle. The rest of their family had left two days earlier, partly because they were no longer needed and partly to organise Fred's funeral. He had been transported back to the Burrow via Side Along apparition.

"Luna" Neville said quietly, we were the only ones standing in the deserted corridors of Hogwarts though the professors were undoubtedly somewhere in the castle.

"Let's go," I said softly, taking his hand and leading him out into the newly repaired grounds. It was hard to believe that just over a week ago this had been a battlefield with bodies strewn left right and centre. Neville and I both reeked of dried blood and were incredibly filthy. I made a mental note that when I got home I would have an hour long steaming hot shower. My dirty blonde hair was now more like Brown hair with all the dirt strewn through it. I doubted that it would ever come out of the huge knot it was in now. My thoughts strayed to my old home. All I knew is that it was blown apart by a Crumple Horned Snorkak horn. Though Hermione insisted that it was an Erumpent horn. Where would Neville stay? Was my immediate thought as we entered Hogsmeade. His grandmother had been transferred to St Mungos to treat her injuries.

"Neville?" I said, timidly

"mmm" he grunted back.

"Do you want to come with me?" I asked

"With you, where?"

"Home, you have no-where to stay, besides, you could meet my dad" I said, taking his hand.

"Luna, I don't know"

"Please" I pleaded.

"Alright" He gave in and bent down to kiss me on the cheek. "Your dad's name is Xenophilius right?"

"Yeah" I replied as we reached the three broomsticks where we could disapparate safely without people having their heads done in by the awful wailing of the Caterwailing Charm.

"How's he going to react to me?" Neville asked his face suddenly nervous. I hadn't thought of that. How would my father react to Neville?

"I'm not sure." I said truthfully. Then a light switch clicked on in my brain. "I know! I'll send him a patronus!"

"You know how to do that?" Neville said, impressed.

"I think so. It's not all that hard" I pulled my wand from under my cloak. "_Expecto Patronum_" I whispered, conjuring my most happy memory from the darkness of my mind. The memory I used to conjure my rabbit patronus was my mother and I going on adventures when I was young, before she died. A new memory had overtaken that one now. My first kiss, being with Neville, these now occupied my memory bank and shut out any happy memories from when I was young. To my surprise, the spell worked and I saw a silver shape streak up the road, though it was not my faithful rabbit. It was a red panda. I stared after it quizzically, why had my patronus changed shape?

"You switched memories" Neville said from beside me. I'd almost forgotten that he was there.

"What? How did you know that?" I asked. Was He suddenly a mind reader or something?

"Harry told me during DA lessons." Neville said, looking at the ground. I smiled, the knowledge that Neville had taken in during DA lessons proved how willing he was to learn at Harry's hands.

"You're amazing, you know that right?" I said, kissing him lightly.

"I try," He joked, taking my hand. "to your place?"

"To my place" I confirmed, wherever that may be. My father had told me that it was about 3 miles from the old one. I estimated that was about nine sets of hills away from the Burrow. Once I had an image fixed in my mind, I turned on the spot and disapparated.

~0~

We reappeared almost instantly in the courtyard of an old home. Nothing about it was familiar, though there were Dirigible plums growing in the garden, I picked two and offered one to Neville. I bit into the juicy flesh and warmth flooded my veins. It was sort of like an apricot, but sweeter and softer. I finished it in a matter of seconds and tossed the seed into the garden, where it would eventually grow.

"Ready?" I said, looking at Neville, then at the front door.

"Yeah" Neville gulped "Ready as I'll ever be"

"You'll be fine" I said softly, leading him up towards the front door.

**AN: Sooo Did you like it? I know this one's a bit short compared to the others but I want meeting Luna's dad to be its own chapter. Please Review! You have no idea how much it helps me write. And if you review I'll be more motivated to write quicker. I'll give virtual cookies to all reviewers!**


	5. Xenophilius

Chapter 5  
Xenophilius

I raised my hand and knocked on the front door five times. I heard the sounds of chairs being scraped back and someone hurrying to the door. Exactly four seconds later my father flung the door open.

"Luna!" He exclaimed happily, hurrying forward to me "Luna, I was so worried, so worried. I thought you'd been killed"

"So you didn't get my patronus" I said, disappointedly.

"Oh yes, I got it. It's changed its form. I must say I do like the Red Panda." He said, hugging me tightly again. I hugged him back. I'd missed him so much in the past week. Though I had Neville to hug and hold onto, there was nothing like a fatherly hug.

"Daddy," I said, pulling away "There's someone I'd like you to meet." I gestured to Neville to come up the stairs. Dad shot a smile at him "Dad, this is Neville Longbottom. Neville, this is my dad"

"Mr. Lovegood" Neville said politely, holding out his hand. I waited with baited breath, how would Dad take to Neville?

"Dear boy, please call me Xenophilius" dad said, seizing Neville's hand and shaking Neville's whole arm. I let out a whoosh of air. Dad approved of him, now it was time to drop the bombshell. That Neville and I were dating. "Do come inside" he continued, grabbing my arm and pulling me into the house. "Luna, you're filthy! Have something to eat and go straight up for a shower" I nodded, all too gladly.

~0~

Five minutes later I was sitting at the kitchen table beside Neville, drinking a steaming mug of hot tea, and eating a slice of fruitcake. Then I decided to tell him

"Dad" I said cautiously

"Yes Luna"

"You do know that me and Neville are together right?"

"Neville and I sweetheart," he corrected "and of course I know you're together, you're sitting right next to eachother, you're here"

"No dad, I mean like together, as in a couple." I said seriously. He still looked confused, I rolled my eyes, I would have to say the dreaded words that no father wants to hear from his daughter "Boyfriend and girlfriend" I said exasperatedly. He blushed and quickly busied himself with the washing up. Neville smiled encouragingly at me across the table. The situation was getting more and more awkward by the second. I gulped my tea quickly and stood up.

"Well, I'm going for a shower" I announced. Dad looked up before looking down again, and Neville nodded. The nod said; _I'll be okay! Don't worry, your dad is cool. _I smiled back at him and headed upstairs. The stairs were longer than they were at my old place, and there were a lot of them. But hey, you're looking at a girl who has lived in a castle with 142 staircases in it, and god knows how many stairs! I pulled open the bathroom door and walked inside the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

"Luna" I heard someone call from behind me. I turned to see my dad coming up the stairs.

"Yeah"

"Can we talk?" He asked desperately. I looked longingly at the shower before nodding.

"You say that you and Neville are together right"

"Right" I said, confused at why he was asking me this when I'd told him not five minutes ago.

"Luna, I need to tell you that I don't want you and Neville to rush things. Don't do anything until you're ready" he said, his hand on my arm. I groaned, he was trying to give me the talk. "Like don't go and have..." I cut him off

"Ohhh no, no, no, no, no, Not Listening" I said, putting my hands over my ears.

"Luna, just hear me out." He said, tugging my hands away. "I don't want you and Neville to have..."

"La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la," I sung loudly, but it didn't stop me from hearing what he said next.

"I don't want you and Neville to have sex or anything. I don't want a pregnant sixteen year old daughter" _Oh this is so freaking awkward! _I thought to myself, hands still clamped tightly over my ears.

"I'm just gonna go have my shower" I said, dying to get away from the awkwardness that was this conversation.

"Sure" Dad said, getting up, it was clear that this was just as awkward for him as it was for me. Once in the bathroom, I undressed out of my dirty clothes and turned the shower on full blast. The hot water washed off most of the grime, but I didn't feel clean until I had soaped myself all over. Then I moved onto the dilemma of getting my dirty blonde hair out of the massive knot it was in. Many handfuls of conditioner and lots of "ouches" later, I could run my fingers through my hair without catching on any knots.

"Why couldn't I be seventeen?" I muttered angrily. If I was seventeen I would've had that knot out no problem. I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me. I reached my room and pushed open the door. It was quite nice, though I would've chosen my old room over this one any day. A crisp, clean jeans and t-shirt lay on the bed. I pulled them on and walked downstairs, attempting to dry my hair.

"Here," said Neville, drawing his wand, "let me do that" and with a flick my hair was dry. He smiled at me and I smiled back. I looked around, checking to see if my dad was in the room. We were clear. I laughed sheepishly before drawing Neville in for a long, passionate kiss.

"Oh Luna you're out, could you..." dad stopped himself as he walked into the kitchen. For the second time this week, we broke apart abruptly. "Oh, I wasn't interrupting anything was I?"

"No" Neville and I insisted.

"I'll just go..." Dad mumbled something about dirigible plums and shuffled out.

"At least he has tact" I said, walking over to the couch and pulling Neville in for another kiss. He laughed softly, it was contagious. I laughed. In a few seconds we were both rolling around on the couch laughing. What happened next made us sober up immediately. Mr. Weasley's weasel patronus soared into the room through the open window. It opened its mouth and spoke in Mr. Weasley's voice

_Fred is buried, Funeral ready to start, Tonks and Lupin after, Please come. _

With that it dissolved into thin air.

**AN: So what did you think? Please Review! Again, another short chapter, sorry. Remember Virtual cookies for all reviewers! The next chapter might be a while, so be sure to check out my other fanfic "The Most Unlikely of Friends"  
That was a very awkward chapter! Don't you reckon...**


	6. Burial

**Hey Everyone! Just a reminder before I start, that I'd like EVERYONE who reads this to review. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what I could improve on, what you'd like more of, what you'd like less of, Or even if you want me to update quickly. Please say. Now, sorry this chapter took so long. I had it written a bit after I finished Chapter 5 but wasn't happy with it so I re-wrote it again, and again and again. This is the final product! Hope you like it **

Chapter 6  
Burial

"Dad" I yelled downstairs as the wispy remnants of the Mr. Weasley's patronus faded away.

"Yeah Honey" he called back. "What's up?"

"Mr. Weasley just sent a patronus. He wants us to come to Fred's funeral" as dad reached the top of the stairs I saw him drop the basket of dirigible plums and go white in the face.

"What?" He said stiffly "Fred died?"

"Along with numerous other friends, yes" I said, hurrying around, grabbing a box of wipes and wiping the blood off of Neville's face. "That's the best I can do Neville, They're just going to have to put up with the smell" I said, grabbing an old coat and a packet tissues before rushing out into the garden.

"Luna!" Dad called after me.

"Yeah?"

"Give the Weasley's my best, and tell them that I'm sorry"

"Sure" I yelled back, taking Neville's hand we turned on the spot and disapparated.

~0~

We reappeared in the Weasley's front garden. It was as scruffy and unkempt as ever. The house looked lonely without the welcoming lights and smell of Mrs Weasley's cooking wafting out a window. I didn't know how I knew, but I walked over to the gnome field, as Ron so affectionately called it, and sure enough there was a small cluster of people standing around a mound of freshly turned earth. I clambered over the gate and Neville stepped over it easily and we made our way across towards the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione. As we drew closer, Ginny noticed us and placed a hand on her mother's shoulder

"Mum," she said softly. I could barely hear her "They're here" Mrs. Weasley turned around and flung herself into my arms. I hugged her back and then turned to Mr. Weasley, who had an arm around George whose eyes were red and puffy. Hermione was crying softly with Ron's arm draped around her shoulders. Tears rolled slowly down his cheeks as he looked down at his elder brothers' grave.

"I think we're ready to start" said Mr. Weasley. His voice was choked and it quavered on every syllable. We stood in silence for a few minutes. No one seemed to be able to say anything. Not a single eye was dry; it was as if someone had died. Well they had, so I guess that wasn't a very good metaphor, or was it a simile. I never could tell the difference.

"D'you want me to say something?" I said softly to Mrs. Weasley, who had a handkerchief pressed to her quivering lips, she was restraining herself from crying. She nodded slightly before she let out a single sob and turned to Ginny for comfort.

"We are gathered here today" I began, before thinking that it was way too mainstream for Fred Weasley's funeral. "Scratch that" I said quickly. I decided in a split second that I would just come out with what I wanted to say. Screw tradition. "Fred" I began, voice quavering "you did so much for our world, even in times of trouble. You brought tears of laughter to people that I thought would never laugh again. You were a constant source of annoyance and fun, which is what all children should be. It wasn't fair that you had to die so young when you should've lived to be old and had ten children" I stopped as George let out a loud sob, this was the first time I'd ever seen George cry. I think I'd gone too far with the 'growing old' statement. "We love you Fred, we'll miss you, and we'll never forget you" I finished, stepping back into the circle beside Neville. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders as they started to shake with silent, dry sobs.

"Yeah," Neville said "Luna pretty much summed it up. We'll never forget you Fred" to my surprise, George stepped forward.

"Fred" he said, his voice was a hoarse croak "You were the best brother I ever could've wished for. I'll always remember you... always" He stepped into place beside his father, lapsing into sobs. There were murmurs of "always" from everyone present in the circle. I guess George's statement summed up the funeral, as everyone dispersed back to the house, everyone apart from George. After everyone was half way back to the house, he moved in closer and looked down at Fred's grave. I knew I shouldn't, but I'd always been good at getting people to tell me their feelings, and It often did them a lot of good in the long run.

"You go Nev." I said to Neville, kissing his hand softly "I just want to talk to George for a bit" He didn't question me. I turned and made my way back to the freshly turned mound of earth in the centre of the field.

"George," I said, bending down and placing my hand on his shoulder "Tell me" he didn't stir. He didn't look up. He just said

"I'll miss him" he said simply, tears falling on Fred's grave. I nodded and crouched down so my face was level with his.

"George" I said, and he looked up. His eyes were red and puffy. "Do you think the dead we love ever truly leave us? Fred will always be with you, in your heart." I placed a hand on his chest, directly over his heart. He forced a smile.

"Thanks Luna" he got up and brushed the dirt off his jeans "I think I'll come to Tonks and Lupins funeral now" I smiled at him. See, I told you my lack of tact did people good in the long run!

~0~

Andromedra was crying. Tonks and Lupin's funeral had been just as emotionally moving as Fred's, almost everyone was crying, however silently or dryly. Teddy Lupin was too young to know what was going on as he bounced up and down happily on Fleur's knee. Mr. Weasley uncorked a bottle of firewhisky and handed it around. Ginny and I weren't allowed to have any, as we were underage. Suspiciously, Fleur turned hers down but I suspect that she didn't want Teddy near the stuff.

"You should come back with us Andromedra" Said Mr Weasley.

"Thanks Arthur" Andromedra replied, taking a swig of firewhisky, apparently it numbed pain, emotional or physical "but I'll stay here. It only feels right"

"Luna" Neville hissed out of the corner of his mouth

"Yeah" I whispered back

"I feel like we're intruding, do you want to go back to your dads?"

"Sure."I agreed. Neville cleared his throat loudly, everyone's attention turned to him. "Thank you all for the invite to the funerals. But Luna and I have to go now."

"Thank you for coming Luna, and you Neville" Mrs. Weasley said. It was the first time she'd spoken since before Fred's funeral.

"Our pleasure" Said Neville "Well, goodbye then, for now" he finished. And we turned on the spot, and disapparated.

**AN: Sooo what did you think? I have the next few chapters written but will not update until the reviews are between 30-40 as I only got like 3 reviews each for the last few chapters. Hope you enjoyed it **


	7. Somewhere Only We Know

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! A special shout out to ****Romance and Musicals ****and ****Girlfromdahood1192**** for reviewing every chapter of this story since it began! Sorry that the Chapter wasn't uploaded quickly, but I had a little accident involving a mosh pit and crowd surfing. Let's just say my wrist REALLY hurts. To top it off my laptop crashed so I could only access on my phone, and I can't upload on my phone. So I had a pretty eventful 2 days don't you reckon. Anyway Enjoy!**

_**"I walked across, an empty land, I knew the pathway like the back of my hand. I felt the earth, beneath my feet, sat by the river and it made me complete" - Somewhere Only We Know by Keane**_

Chapter 7  
Somewhere Only We Know

I collapsed instantly onto the bed. I was exhausted. I'd had no proper sleep for a week and it had taken its toll. It didn't help that I was in a depressed mood. It made me a very unpleasant person to be around. The sheets smelled fresh and crisp. The bed was so comfortable. I closed my eyes, and within seconds, I was asleep.

~0~

I opened my eyes blearily. I looked at the clock on my bedside table. It read 1pm. I sat bolt upright. I had slept for twenty-two hours. I crawled out of bed and stepped over Neville, who was still asleep on his mattress and tiptoed out of the room towards the bathroom. I turned on the tap, cupped my hands under the small stream of water and splashed it over my face, I did this over and over again until I felt awake enough to go downstairs and eat something. Just thinking about eating made my stomach growl. I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen. There was a note signed "Dad" I pulled it towards me and read

_Luna,_

_I've gone to the Weasleys for a couple of days. They'll need help after everything that's happened, I'll see you soon._

_Dad_

A smile spread across my face. Dad was away for two days. Two days to spend with Neville, and only Neville. I set about making breakfast. Cereal had always been my favourite so I poured myself some muggle stuff called "Just Right" and began to eat it. I hadn't realised how hungry I actually was, I ate two bowls of the stuff. It wasn't exactly breakfast as it was 4pm but breakfast was the most important meal of the day so I wasn't about to let it go. After washing down my "Breakfast" with a glass of an Infusion of Gurdyroots, I thought about what Neville and I could do today, well what was left of the day anyway. My mind settled on the idea of a picnic, under Bottom Bridge. My favourite hangout spot when I was young. It was only 10 minutes walk away from my old house. That presented quite a problem at the moment, Neville could apparate, but he didn't know where Bottom Bridge was, only My Mother, My father and I knew, we would probably have to walk. I set about preparing a picnic lunch. Throwing anything and everything that I could find in, I couldn't cook, not very well anyway, so I just chucked in anything that looked appropriate for a picnic. I was just coming inside with a fresh basket of dirigible plums to pack when Neville came downstairs, yawning.

"Morning Luna" He said with a huge yawn

"Morning?" I snorted pointing at the clock over the mantelpiece. It read 3pm.

"Afternoon then" He corrected himself. I smiled and went over to hug him. I pulled away, waving my hand in front of my nose.

"Ugh Neville" I said pinching my nose "You don't smell very nice, do you want to have a shower?"

"Gee thanks" He said sarcastically with a devilish smile before chasing me around the kitchen counter. I squealed before he caught me and pulled me in for a long kiss. I pulled out

"Please, go have a shower" I said. He rolled his eyes and walked back upstairs. I waited until I could hear the water running before resuming what I was doing. I saw my clothes that I'd worn in the battle in the washing basket. I felt a strong desire to throw them out the window. As if I needed reminding of that awful time in my life. I found myself getting a match out of the kitchen cupboard I walked towards my clothes, grabbed them, and took them outside. I held the match for a few seconds before letting it drop onto my clothes. I watched the dancing flames for a few minutes before snapping out of my trance. The clothes were nothing but black cinders sitting in the middle of a dying lawn. Suddenly, they disappeared. I turned to see Neville walking towards me, with his wand drawn. He had made the clothes disappear. I'd forgotten that he was over seventeen.

"So" he said "What have you got planned for today?"

"Oh a mixture" I said airily "it involves a long walk though"

"Can't we just apparate?" He asked weakly.

"We could, but you don't exactly know where to go. It's a place that only I know about."

"Where is it roughly" he asked, I could feel the cogs turning in his brain, trying to get a mental image in his head of Bottom Bridge.

"It's about 10 minutes from my old place" I replied.

"That's easy then!" he exclaimed "We'll apparate to your old place and you can show me the rest of the way."

"Alright" I said, walking back inside, "Let me just get something first" I hurried upstairs and grabbed the picnic basket before stumbling back downstairs again.

"A picnic!" Neville shouted with glee at the sight of the basket in my hand "I haven't been on a picnic, since...since...crap, I can't even remember the last time I had a picnic!" I laughed and hugged him.

"Are we gonna get going or not?"

"Oh right, yeah" And we disapparated with a loud _crack._

~0~

Ignoring the ruins of my old house, I walked down the small bush tracks that lead along the river towards Bottom Bridge. Neville followed silently. I weaved in and out of ferns and through bushes to get to my special secluded spot. I heard Neville following with a little difficulty.

"Here we are" I said, turning around with a huge smile plastered across my face.

"You go through all that, just to get here?" He asked with disbelief.

"It's fun" I said simply. We looked at each other and laughed, for a long time we didn't stop. By the time we'd managed to get our sandwiches made, dark had fallen and both of us started to get drowsy. Eating the last remnants of the sandwich I lay down, looking at the starry sky, snuggled up to Neville for warmth.

"Luna" He said quietly in my ear "can I tell you something?"

"Sure" I said quietly back

"I've loved you ever since the carriage from the train to Hogwarts in my fifth year" he kissed me softly. "Ever since you mentioned that your butterbeer cork necklace keeps away narlges" I laughed at that memory.

"I still have it you know" I pulled the old friend from my pocket and hung it around my neck. "No Nargles will bother us tonight" Neville threw back his head and laughed. I couldn't help smile. There was silence for a few minutes as we basked in each other's presence.

"Neville" I said suddenly

"Yeah"

"Ever since that carriage ride in my fourth year, I felt something for you, I just didn't know what it was exactly" I said. Neville smiled

"Well you do now" He cupped his hand behind my head and pulled me on top of him for a deep, passionate kiss.

**AN: Sooo, apologies for not uploading quickly. I just got down to the library today and It's very hard to type as I sprained my wrist in a mosh pit on Friday night. A reminder to everyone to REVIEW! Could I please get the reviews up to 45 or more? I'll update when I get them **


	8. This is the Place

**AN: Okay, you may think me accident prone, but A table hit me in the head a few days ago at school (okay, I went to sit on the table and IT MOVED of its own accord and I smashed my head) and I got a concussion, just a mild one. And forgot about what I was going to write for this chapter. THANK THE WIZARD GOD I'd planned half of it. But all my ideas went out the window, I also have a massive bruise on the back of my head...soooo, apologies if it sounds a bit vague. **

"_**This is the place, where we laughed, where we danced, where we walked in the rain, now it's not the same. This is the place where you cried and I wiped all the tears from your face, oh this is the place" – This Is the Place by the Tribe Cast**_

Chapter 8  
This is the Place

I opened my eyes in the bright sunlight and blinked. I sat up, taking in my surroundings. No, I hadn't mysteriously apparated into some other state of being but I was still at Bottom Bridge, lying on a picnic rug, next to Neville. I looked down, expecting to see Neville's mess of black hair lying beside me. But there was no form, human or otherwise lying beside me on the picnic blanket

"Neville" I said, uncertainly to the still morning. No reply. "NEVILLE" I yelled, panic gripping my heart.

"Yeah Luna," said a voice walking out of the bushes to my right. "What's up?" I let out my breath in a whoosh and got up to hug him.

"Don't ever do that to me again" I scolded, holding him tight to me "I thought you'd been taken"

"Whoa, chill Luna, I just went to leak" he said, holding me at arms length "Do I have to wake you up and tell you that I'm going to the –"

"Enough information thank you" I said, holding up a hand to stop him from saying any more. We both laughed. "So, should we get going?" I asked, picking up the picnic rug and shaking the dirt out of it, "Dad's probably home by now."

"Yeah, sure, lets go" He said "But, can we apparate back from here, I don't fancy going through all those bushes again" I chuckled.

"Alright, I give in" I said, putting the picnic rug back in the basket with the remainder of the food that we hadn't eaten. To tell you the truth, I hated apparating. The sensation that you're being squashed through a pipe that is too small for you and the feeling that you're being suffocated is not at all pleasant. Though very convenient for travelling distances that you really don't feel like walking. I stepped into Neville's outstretched arms and disapparated with a loud _crack_

~0~

The sensation that I was being squeezed through a tube lasted a few seconds only, as we reappeared in the courtyard outside my old house. I stared at it for a few seconds longer than I had last time. When you looked at it, the bottom level wasn't damaged that badly. I was sure I could get up to my room and see if any of my possessions had survived if I tried hard enough. Before I knew what I was doing I was striding towards the front door of the place where I had spent my first fifteen years of my life.

"Luna, what are you doing?" Neville asked, catching my arm, I pried it gently out of his grasp and took his hand.

"Remembering the Past" I said calmly with a smile. Pushing open the door, which hung off one hinge, I entered the remains of my old house.

**AN: Sorry this chapter was so short!  
But as you know I have a sprained wrist and no computer (Just got sent off to get fixed today) So I have to write these either at school or at the library. Also theres this wonderful thing called **_**Pottermore**_** that finally decided to accept me into it. So I may have spent hours down at the library just playing on that until closing time. (Pfft I did not play on Pottermore for hours when I was supposed to be writing, what are you talking about?) haha anyways, REVIEW! It was my goal to get 45 reviews for the last Chapter and I only got 37. SO PLEASE REVIEW! If everyone reviewed when they read I'd have over 200 reviews as I've had over 200 adds to favourite stories! I accept anonymous reviews so you don't even have to have an account. REVIEW REVIEW REVEIW! I promise the next chapter will be extra extra long! REVIEW!**


	9. The Burrow Again

**AN: My head is seriously not in this story anymore. It always happens around chapter 9 or 10 please review so that I can have more inspiration. Suggestions for plot change are welcome!**

Chapter 9  
the Burrow Again

I made my way through the rubble that was the inside of my old house. The stairs had collapsed leaving a mountain of dust and plaster that was leading to the upper floors. I could just see the corner of my bed hanging through the ceiling and I felt a feeling of despair seep through my whole body. There was no way that any of my possessions had survived the blast, still, it didn't hurt trying. I clambered with expert ability up into my bedroom. It was as I'd left it, minus the gaping hole in the floor. The paintings of Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny and Hermione were dusty but intact. I set about moving them down from the walls. The picture of my mother and I lay on the ground. Neville picked it up and dusted it off, the glass was cracked and he repaired it with a wave of his wand and handed it to me.

"She's pretty, your mum" He said, looking down at the photograph "She looks a lot like you" I smiled down at the picture. There were times when I missed my mother terribly, but couldn't say anything to anyone; Dad would start to cry at the mention of her. For the next ten minutes Neville and I scrambled around the rubble, finding stuff that wasn't too damaged. The house itself was beyond repair, so was the room. But the little things could be scavenged and repaired.

Fifteen minutes later, we stepped out of the ruined house and into the bright sunlight. My arms were full of little possessions, pictures mostly, that had survived the blast.

"Where to now?" Neville asked

"D'you want to go to the burrow? Dad will probably still be there" I said putting my pictures in a basket and resting it in the crook of my arm.

"Yeah, sure" He murmured, taking my hand and preparing to disapparate.

~0~

"Hi Molly" I said dreamily as Neville and I walked through the front door as if it was our own house.

"Oh hello dears!" she said, abandoning the cooking and hurrying to make them feel at home. "Harry and Ron are upstairs and Hermione's with Ginny in the orchard, should I call them?"

"No It's okay, we'll find them. Is my dad here?"

"You just missed him. He went home a few minutes ago." Mrs Weasley said. I was about to respond when Bill and Fleur apparated into the room.

"Hi Mum" said Bill casually as Fleur collapsed into a chair. Molly turned and hugged her son

"Hi Bill" she looked at the drained expression on his face "Is everything alright dear?"

"Yeah" said Bill, a smile cracking over his face "Everything's fine, better than fine actually, could we please gather everyone together?" Molly looked confused but she turned to us and said

"Could you?" I nodded and Neville and I headed upstairs to get Harry, Ron, George, Charlie and Percy.

~0~

After many Hello's and hugs, Neville and I stood around the wooden table in the Burrow's kitchen, Bill and Fleur stood at the head of the table.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure how to say this" said Bill

"Spit it out" Said George.

"Well..." Bill paused for a dramatic effect "Fleur's pregnant" there was a moment of silence before the kitchen exploded with Mrs. Weasley's screams of happiness. She jumped up with a speed that I never would've thought possible and hugged Fleur, hugged Bill and then hugged Fleur again.

"That's wonderful" Molly Exclaimed before hitting Bill over the head.

"Ow!" He said "Mum, what was that for"

"For making me a grandma" she said in a joking voice. What happened next was the happiest I'd seen the Weasley's since Bill and Fleur's wedding last year. After many congratulatory hugs, and talk about baby names, clothes and babysitters. Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous meal. Mr. Weasley walked through the door and saw the wooden table laden with food.

"Hi Mr. Weasley" I said, noticing him first "I'd love to tell you but I think that Bill and Fleur might want to" Mr. Weasley turned to his wife and raised an eyebrow at her joyous expression. Her smile widened as she saw him and jerked her head towards Bill and Fleur.

"Is everything alright?" Mr. Weasley said, the question was directed at Bill.

"Everything's fine Dad, better than fine, excellent in fact. Fleur's pregnant" Bill said and Mr. Weasley's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and surprise. He clapped Bill on the back

"Well done mate" he said as Fleur kissed him on the cheek. "Congratulations Fleur" he said to his daughter-in-law. And Fleur shot a smile back at him.

"I'm going to send a patronus back to dad" I whispered to Neville. "Telling him that we're going to stay" Neville nodded. "Molly." I said loudly, thinking it rude to assume that I was allowed to stay.

"Yes Luna, dear" she said

"You don't mind if Neville and I spend a few nights here do you?"

"No of course not dear." Mrs. Weasley responded and Neville drew his wand. I looked at him quizzically.

"You can't use magic, remember" he said and I looked at the ground sheepishly. I'd forgotten about the underage rule. I'd been able to cast the first patronus as I'd been in Hogsmeade but I couldn't cast it here.

"_Expecto Patronum"_ Neville muttered and a silver shape streaked out of his wand and out of sight. It was so fast I couldn't even see the form. "Wow" said Neville in awe "I've never been able to conjure more than silver vapour before" I smiled and hugged him.

"Well done" I whispered and he kissed me back fleetingly.

"Hey," said Hermione, bending down "Ginny, Harry, Ron and I are going for a walk. Escape for a bit. You wanna come?" I nodded and both Neville and I stood up to leave the table. No-one really stopped us and we walked out un-noticed. We walked down the gravel road of Ottery St. Towards a muggle shop.

"So what have you two been up to?" Harry asked, kicking a small stone back and forth with Ron.

"Not much" Neville replied "you?"

"Molly's been keeping us busy" said Hermione "trying to keep everyone's mind off Fred" Ginny sniffed and Ron's face stiffened. Harry looked at Hermione warningly and she blushed, realising her lack of tact. There was silence as we wondered along the road, not heading anywhere in particular. Ron broke the silence.

"Hey Hermione," he said casually, one hand in his pocket "What's that over there?" she looked around, scanning for something that was not there. Ginny and I clapped our hands to our mouths as we witnessed Ron get down on one knee and pull out a ring.

"I don't see anything Ronald" she said frustratedly turning around. Her reaction was much the same as mine. She gasped as she saw the beautiful ring that Ron was holding out to her.

"Will you marry me Hermione?" he asked simply. Hermione didn't hesitate. She threw her arms around him an a bone crushing hug and yelled

"YES!" Almost simultaneously, Neville seized me and kissed me hard and whispered in my ear.

"When you've left Hogwarts, that'll be us" I couldn't help but smile.

**AN: Okay, so I know that it was a typical proposal scene. Do you think that they're too young? I mean if you do the maths Hermione was 25 when Rose was born so they could've been married years before. Anyway. This is what I hate about writing 2 stories at once. I get addicted to one and abandon the other. So apologies if I'm not working on this one as frequently, I'll be working on **_**The Most Unlikely of Friends**_** check it out! Many thanks to all reviewers!**


	10. Quite an Eventful Day

**AN. Apologies for any mistakes or inconsistencies. This was written very close to midnight under the influence of lollies and chocolates. Words of wisdom, It's not impossible to write at a sleepover party! **

Chapter 10  
Quite an Eventful Day

Everyone literally sprinted back towards the burrow. We all wanted to be first and give Mr and Mrs. Weasley the news that Hermione and Ron were engaged. Ginny beat all of us and she burst into the kitchen, scaring the living daylights out of everyone, Neville, Harry and I arrived seconds after her.

"Mum, Mum! Guess what?" Ginny squealed.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" Mrs. Weasley asked, worried.

"Ron just asked Hermione to marry him!" she squeaked and Mrs. Weasley clapped her hands to her mouth as Ron and Hermione strolled into the kitchen, holding hands. Mrs. Weasley pounced on Ron and hugged him.

"Ow! Mum, gerroff me!" Ron grunted, his voice muffled.

"Oh Ronnie" Mrs. Weasley sobbed "You're growing up so fast. It seems like yesterday you were getting on the train to Hogwarts and now look at you. Engaged!" Ron smiled and kissed Hermione.

"Oh Ron, please, in front of the child?" joked George, gesturing to Ginny, who gave him a murderous expression.

"George" she whined "I'll be seventeen in two weeks!" no one heard her. Everyone was too busy congratulating Ron and Hermione.

"Let's go" I whispered to Neville, taking his hand and leading him towards the stairs and up to a bedroom that Molly had made up for us earlier. It was great how the Weasleys were so poor, yet were so kind and giving. The house was much too large and they had rooms to spare, though with Bill, Fleur, Harry and Hermione living there, most spare rooms were taken up. I pushed open the door to Charlie's old room. He'd set off for Romania the previous morning. It was small, and there was only one bed, a double, but that was okay. It was just Neville and I. It was late in the afternoon and much too early to sleep, but both of us collapsed on the bed, exhausted, still fully dressed. It turned out that my sleep deprivation was more severe than I thought because as soon as I closed my eyes, they became heavy and I slipped into unconsciousness

~0~

"_Luna" a voice rang out across the field of red poppies and lime green grass. I looked up and saw her, a mirror image of me, my mother, alive and well. "Luna, I missed you so much!" it seemed to be in slow motion that we ran towards each other, like you see in movies, the great bounding leaps in slow motion leading into a hug or a kiss. It felt so good to embrace her, to feel her hold me to her breast and stroke my hair like she used to. Suddenly, Neville was beside me._

"_So Luna, aren't you going to introduce me?" he asked, with a huge smile on his face. The scar on the side of his head was gone, so were multiple other scars, like the one on his hand, and the one on his right forearm. _

"_Mum...this is..." before I could finish I was being pulled away from the paradise field. Being pulled away from mother... _

"Luna, Neville" I was jerked out of my dream by a loud knocking on the door "Molly says dinner's ready" It was definitely Hermione. I heard Neville groan and roll over beside me. I kept my eyes closed, trying to remember the dream. It had been wonderful. But the details were slipping away too quickly. My eyes flew open and surveyed the room. It was dark outside and the moon illuminated the gnome field behind the burrow. I could see Fred's grave outlined in the moonlight. A black silhouette knelt beside it, and I just knew it was George. I may have helped him feel better, but he was still mourning.

"Good sleep?" asked Neville, bending over to kiss me.

"Yeah" I said softly as my stomach rumbled. Lunch seemed a lifetime away. I glanced at my watch out of habit, but it didn't work anymore. Not since the battle. I found an alarm clock on Charlie's nightstand and opened my eyes long enough to see the time. 9:30pm. No wonder I was hungry! Lunch was almost ten hours ago. I stood up and a rush of blood to my head made my vision blur. I blundered towards the door and ran into Neville, who was checking his reflection in the mirror.

"Whoa, easy tiger" He said, steadying me with both hands and tucking a strand of dirty blonde hair behind my ear. "What do you say you hold my hand when we go downstairs?" I laughed slightly and took his hand.

"I'd be honoured good sir" I said in a mock, posh accent. The burrow was lit with dancing purple, yellow, orange and gold lights, and as we entered the kitchen there was a large sign overhead that read

CONGRATULATIONS  
RON AND HERMIONE

Hagrid was there, bent double to fit under the ceiling. I looked around and saw multiple other members of the Order. I half expected to see Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks and Lupin standing around the edges of the room, Tonks would be changing her nose and hair. Mad-Eye would be talking to Kingsley, whom I spotted talking happily to Mr. Weasley, about work and Lupin would almost definitely be talking to Harry. George walked in quietly, brushing the dirt from his knees and hitching a grin onto his face. Seconds later the room was filled with fireworks that exploded in orange and blue stars around Ron and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley had laid the table with so much food that it threatened to crack under its weight. The table had been extended to double its normal length, as had the kitchen, to fit everyone in.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, the crowds in the kitchen started to disperse, some, like Hagrid, were too drunk to go anywhere and Molly kicked her children out of their rooms and in with siblings so that they could have a place to stay. I think at least five people slept in Ron's room that night. Thankfully, Neville and I weren't kicked out of Charlie's room and were left to sleep in peace. As I pulled the duvet over me that night, I couldn't help but think. _How lucky am I? _And I was lucky. Lucky to be a live, lucky to have a roof over my head, lucky to be sleeping in a warm bed, lucky to have Neville.

**AN: Sorry this took so long. I was working on **_**The Most Unlikely of Friends **_**and I've started a new story for this month called **_**The Other Riddle **_**check 'em out and review em. Oh and guys! POTTERMORE: GalleonDream189, add me! **

**Leave a review! I love to hear what my readers think about my story. I'll update again when the reviews reach 60. That's only 11 reviews. I've checked my stats and 28 people have this on their Alerts, 24 have it in their favourites. Please take a minute to give me a review.**


	11. A Visit to St Mungos

Chapter 11  
A Visit to St Mungos

We stayed to have breakfast with the Weasley's the next morning before leaving with most members of the Order. It had been great spending so much time with them as of late, but now both Neville and I felt that we'd outstayed our welcome.

"Bye Luna" said Ginny sadly, with a tear in her eye, "I guess I'll see you at Hogwarts"

"Yeah, I guess" I replied, hugging her. Ginny had been the only friend I'd ever had between first and third year. In fourth year I had met the rest of them.

"No!" said Harry loudly from across the room "Luna and Neville are coming over for my eighteenth next month, aren't you" It was not a question, it was a statement.

"Of course we are Harry" I replied "wouldn't miss it for the world" the grin that spread over Harry and Ginny's faces stretched from ear to ear. I guess it must've been hard for Ginny, living among so many boys with only her mother and Hermione for company. "I'll see you then" I said with a wave and a small smile as Neville and I walked out the door and into the front yard of the Burrow. "Where to now?" I asked, as Neville pushed open the front gate and we walked down the gravel road towards the village of Ottery. St Catchpole. Neville answered immediately

"St Mungos" he said firmly

"Why?" I asked, nonplussed

"Well, I've met your dad, It's only fair that you meet my parents as well" He replied, certainly. He'd clearly given this a lot of thought over the past few days.

"Alright" I said "but let's get the knight bus, I'm not exactly fond of Apparating" Neville rolled his eyes and stuck out his wand arm. Immediately, a bright purple, triple decker bus had appeared in front of us, almost squashing us flat.

"Welcome to the Knight bus" said the conductor in a bored tone. "Emergency transport for a stranded witch or wizard, my name is Oliver Pringle and I will be your conductor for this evening" he finished and we got on. There were chairs in rows along the bus as it was day time. I sat down in a seat next to the window and grabbed the handrail; Neville did the same in front of me. I was just starting to wonder why Stan Shunpike wasn't conducting the bus when it hit me. Stan was in Azkaban, serving fifty years for following You-Know-Who, even if he was under the imperius curse at the time. The bus jerked and jumped from the gravel lane in Ottery. St, to a highway in central London.

"Oi, where are you lot going?" Oliver Pringle asked, pointing at Neville and I.

"St Mungos" Neville replied as I looked around, we were the only passengers on the bus from what I could see. There was a loud _Bang _and we reappeared in front of an old department store.

"'ere you go" he said and I stood up shakily, took Neville's hand and got off the bus as quickly as possible.

"Thank you" said Neville politely to the old driver, Ernie Prang and he nodded his acknowledgement back.

"Now..." he said turning to the department store "which is the right entrance?"

"I have no Idea, I've only ever been here once before" I replied. The department store looked like no one had used it in years.

"I've been here plenty of times but Gran's always either apparated into the hospital or done the entrance thing, I never really payed any attention to it." Neville replied. I gasped in sudden realisation. "What?" he asked

"That's it, you can apparate us in" I said, grabbing his hand. Neville rolled his eyes

"I thought you didn't like Apparating?" he scoffed. It was my turn to roll my eyes. I gave him a look that said _Just Apparate _and he did. A second of suffocation and we appeared in the visitors waiting room of St Mungos.

"Yes" said the witch behind the desk "how can I help you?"

"I'd like to visit my parents" Neville said, peering at the notes she was writing.

"Names?"

"Frank and Alice Longbottom"

"Go right up" the secretary said In a bored voice, going back to her notes. Neville took my hand and lead me up a flight of marble stairs. He obviously knew the way as he didn't' so much as glance at the signs pointing us in the right direction. I let him guide me as the setting was totally unfamiliar. It took us no time to reach the ward with large lettering painted on the window spelling out "SPELL DAMAGE" Neville quietly pushed open the door and led me into the ward.

There were all sorts of patients in there, from the complete senile, to the horribly injured mutants. Silently, Neville lead us past the bed of our old Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lockheart, who was staring blankly at the ceiling and towards two beds in the corner of the room. A woman with a large, rounded face, much the same as Neville's, peered around the corner of the curtains. A smile spread across her face at the sight of her son walking towards her. Alice Longbottom looked different to how she did in the photograph of the Original Order of the Phoenix, which hung on the wall where the DA practised in the Room of Requirement. She was older for starters, her dark hair, normally cut short, flowed freely down her back, reaching just below her hips. She was skinnier and her eyes were much more sunken. Neville walked straight up and embraced her. He had to bend down as he was now taller than her by a few inches.

"Hi mum" he whispered quietly into her ear and she smiled to acknowledge that she heard. "Dad" he said, turning to his father. Frank Longbottom rose off the bed he had been sitting on and walked towards Neville giving him a wordless hug. I had to admit that I was surprised at this action. I was under the impression that Neville's parents were completely incapable of doing anything. My shock must've shown on my face as Neville said.

"They improve every time I see them; the healers are doing a really good job" he turned to his parents "Mum, Dad, this Is Luna" I waved half-heartedly, It was to no effect. I could've been wearing an invisibility cloak for all of the notice that they took. Alice was fiddling with the patchwork quilt on her bed and Frank was leaning against a wall looking at his toes. Neville lead his father back over to his bed and sat him down. Again he tried in vain to get their attention to me. No dice.

"Sorry about them. Sometimes they just aren't very attentive" Neville apologised.

"It's alright" I shrugged "At least I've met them" there was a silence in which the only sound of Alice unwrapping a toffee was heard. Silently she handed the wrapper to Neville, who slipped it into his pocket.

"Come on, let's go" he said, standing up "They're not going to acknowledge your existence today. We'll try again next week" I stood up as Neville hugged his parents goodbye. It must've pained him to leave them in earlier years but now he hugged them both briefly, said goodbye, took my hand and walked out, with only a hint of disappointment on his face.

**AN: Well I got 7 reviews for the last chapter. Thanks guys! So could I maybe get seven more? That's 63 reviews. Come on EASY! I can see how many people read my stories and 80 people read the last chapter. That means that 73 people couldn't be bothered reviewing. Please review guys! Love you all**

**PS: There the next chapter may take a while as I'll be somewhere nice and tropical getting a tan. Please review!**


	12. The Hogwarts Express

Chapter 12  
The Hogwarts Express

Six weeks had passed since we'd visited Neville's parents in St Mungos. Despite promising to go back, we hadn't. Harry's eighteenth birthday had been a blast and Molly had started to plan Ron and Hermione's wedding, which would happen in the next summer holidays.

The first of September dawned bright but with a chill in the air. The light shone through the curtains of my bedroom prying my sleepy eyes open. I felt Neville's arms around me and his warm figure rising up and down beside me. The clock on my bedside table read 8am. I was going to have to get up soon or I would almost certainly miss the train, having to catch Muggle transport. I pried Neville's arms from around me and got out of bed. Neville didn't stir, he continued snoring softly as I walked into the bathroom to freshen up. I wondered if Ginny was going back, she said that she might not return, though Hermione was thinking about going back to complete her seventh year there. _At least I'll have someone friendly to study with _I thought happily. Ginny and Hermione were my only friends at Hogwarts now that Neville, Harry and Ron had left. I hopped into the shower. The warm water gushed over me and I let my mind wonder away from the present. It landed on the dream I'd had a few weeks back, at the Weasley's, the dream with Neville meeting my mother. Mum had been about the age she was when she died, It was a long time ago now, I found myself reminiscing the day that she died. It stuck out like a sore thumb in my memory; I'd been in the room when it happened.

"_Mummy come look at this" I giggled loudly, making a flower float around the garden. I was nine years old and showing incredible signs of magic._

"_Not now Luna sweetie" I heard mum call back. "I'm busy" I decided that this was a trick that my mother had to see. I controlled the flower to make it zoom back into my hands. I took it inside and up to the living room where mum was working on something that I couldn't quite see. _

"_Mum, look" I said, making the flower zoom around the room. _

"_That's great Luna" she said, not looking up from whatever she was doing._

"_Mum, you're not looking" I said angrily, tugging on the sleeve of her robes just as she waved her wand. The spell ricocheted off the walls and hit my mum straight in the chest, she fell backwards off her chair with a loud thud. I shook her, helplessly, she would never get up..._

"Luna, Luna" Neville said banging on the bathroom door, "you nearly done in there, I need to pee" I sighed as I turned off the taps and stepped out, pulling a towel around me. Tears stung in my eyes as I remembered the day of my mother's death. I never told my father that it was my fault that she died because of my carelessness.

"Luna" Neville warned "Unless you want me to pee on your dad's carpet I suggest you open up" I hitched a smile onto my face and opened the door. "Thank You" he said, exasperatedly, barging past me and locking the door. I walked back into my room and began to dress in muggle clothing. I pulled on a pair of bright blue legging, a red and green patterned skirt over it, and a lose flowing bright yellow T-Shirt. Neville walked back into the room, doing up his fly.

"How'd you sleep?" he asked with a soft kiss.

"Fine," I replied "You?"

"The dreams came back" He whispered. I hugged him warmly and then gave him a soft kiss. The dreams had started a few weeks after we'd visited his parents. He would dream that he was running along the bridge that ran over the lake, he'd set off a chain reaction and the bridge would explode, the pathway would fall behind him, and then he would fall, except this time he didn't manage to grab onto the edge. When he'd first told me about these dreams It sent a chill down my spine, knowing that he may not have survived that fall.

"You'll be alright" I said sympathetically "It's just a dream after all" Neville nodded, after the battle he never liked fear to show on his face, but I could tell from his eyes that these dreams genuinely scared him.

~0~

Breakfast was almost silent, apart from the clink of our spoons against the cereal bowls; Dad was there so we couldn't discuss the dreams. Dad seemed to want to say something but couldn't pluck up the courage, as he kept clearing his throat. When he did this for the twelfth time in five minutes it got too much to bear.

"Daddy, did you want to say something?" I asked him and he blushed and looked at his toast.

"Yes, Yes I did actually" he confirmed, embarrassed "I just wanted to say that I'll be going into the ministry today and won't be able to see you off, so I'll say goodbye now then I guess"

"Okay" I said slowly, I had a feeling that this wasn't what he actually wanted to say, but he could owl me with what he wanted to say. He got up and gave me a hug and shook Neville's hand, grabbed his briefcase and disapparated out of the living room. More time had passed than we had thought and it was now 9:25 am.

"We'd better get going" Neville voiced what I was thinking. "You'll miss the train"

I ran upstairs and grabbed my trunk and backpack with some stuff to do on the train in it. Mostly Homework I'd been set for the summer I'd been kidnapped and never completed. It wasn't really a necessity for me to do it but I figured if I didn't I would be a bit behind for NEWTS. Which, I realised with a horrible feeling, would take place this year.

~0~

An hour and a half later I stood on the platform 9 and ¾ waiting for a glimpse of a familiar face. Not even Neville, with his height could see Ginny or Hermione in the sea of people.

"They're probably already on the train." I shouted as it started to billow steam.

"Yeah I guess" He said "you'd better get on, you'll miss it" I stood on tiptoe and flung my arms around his neck. I kissed him harder than I had done at any time this summer, not even the first kiss. I felt him respond with as much, even more passion. We broke apart as the train started to whistle and the porters went along closing the doors. Neville helped me and my trunk onto the train and with one last fleeting kiss, the door was slammed between us. I opened a window and waved to him.

"I love you" I called, tears stinging in my eyes. I was going to miss him so much

"I love you too!" he called back "I'll write to you" but with those words the train pulled out of the station, I held back my tears and waved until Neville was out of sight.

**AN: Wow! I didn't expect to have this written so quickly! I don't leave for my holiday until Monday morning so I guess I could write a few more chapters if you review. **

**Thanks for all my reviews! I really appreciate them. I got 7 again, so could I maybe get another 7? Please? That's only 70 reviews. EASY! I Love you all!**

**SEARCH PARTY: Romance and Musicals where art thou? I haven't seen you around for a while. Xx **

**Until next time my friends.**


	13. Hogwarts Forever

Chapter 13  
Hogwarts Forever

Ginny and Hermione weren't on the train. I ended up sitting in a carriage by myself, like I had for the past six years on the Hogwarts Express. I leant against the window, trying to think about nothing in particular, but Neville's face always surfaced to the front of my mind, His round happy face, his beautiful blue eyes. I pulled out the Homework that was due Merlin knows how long ago, and began to do it. After a few fruitless attempts at my charms essay, I concluded that the wrackspurts weren't going to let me concentrate at the present time. I lapsed into thinking about Neville. This summer had been one of the best. Although I adored spending time with my dad, this summer had been one that I wanted to spend with my new boyfriend. It sucked that I had to leave him until Christmas. I was jerked out of my daze by a beautiful Tawny owl gliding alongside my carriage, with a letter in its beak. I opened the window slightly and it fluttered inside, dropping the letter in my lap. I immediately recognised Neville's untidy scribble and tore the letter open.

_Luna,_

_I have some good news, some bad news and some even better news. First, well your dad kicked me out after you left. The bad news is that Gran died yesterday and the Healer from St Mungos just got onto me now, but linking back to the good news, It's okay that your dad kicked me out because Gran left me her house. So you can come and live with me once you come of age. If you want to that is. Second, I have a Herbology Teachers apprenticeship at Hogwarts this year! I start tomorrow so maybe I'll see you in Herbology. If not, meet me in the room of requirement at 8pm on Wednesday night. Miss you already_

_Love Neville_

I sat there, stunned. Neville was coming to Hogwarts. He might even help teach my Herbology class! I ran my fingers across the parchment, this was real, Neville had a house that we could live in. He was coming to Hogwarts. I would see him on Wednesday, if not sooner. My fingers lingered over his signature _Love Neville. _Seeing those words inked onto the paper was proof that he really did love me, not that there was any doubt in my mind in the first place. But it made my stomach do backflips just glancing at those words. I dived into my bag, extracted a quill and roll of parchment. I dipped my quill into the ink botte and began to write a reply.

_Dear Neville_

_I miss you so much as well. I'm really sorry about your Gran, I hope you're alright, I know she was very special to you. That's great about the house and even better about the apprenticeship. I'll get to see you every day at the most! I love you_

_Luna_

Satisfied, I rolled up the letter and tied it to the Tawny owls leg. I wondered who's owl he'd used. His Gran's probably. He must be hurting so badly. I'd suffered the death of family members before, my mother. Neville's Gran was like a Mother to him, having raised him since he was very young. I pulled out a copy of _The Quibbler _and began to read.  
I was just reading an article on the importance of the Crumple Horned Snorkak horn, when I spotted the same Tawny owl gliding alongside my window. I opened it excitedly and once again the owl deposited the letter in my lap.

_I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I wrote to Professor McGonagall a few weeks ago and just got the letter back today that Professor Sprout wants to take me on. I didn't want to get your hopes up just in case I didn't get the job. Love you_.

He was so sweet! I flipped the parchment over and wrote two words

_Love you_

It was at that moment when Ginny and Hermione decided to stroll in.

"Luna!" Ginny squealed "sorry for not meeting you on the platform" she jabbered "but we had to go to the prefects carriage to give out orders" Ginny finished her rant and after many assurances from me that it was perfectly fine, she finally settled down and began to tell me about her summer. Ginny had become Head Girl instead of Hermione who claimed to be "Too Old" to get the role, as she was already a year older than every seventh year. But she had been promoted to senior prefect and she claimed that it was good enough for her. The rest of the journey was spent in silence. Ginny's head lolled against the window as she drifted off into sleep. Hermione had pulled out _The Standard Book Of Spells; Grade 7 _and was reading it at top speed, her eyes darting back and forth across the page.

"Neville's doing an apprenticeship in Herbology this year" I said, completely out of the blue. Ginny snapped out of her stupor and Hermione's eyes darted upwards from her book.

"Really?" asked Ginny and I nodded "Oh that's wonderful! It'll be like 6th year all over again. You, me and Neville"

"And Hermione" I added

"And Hermione" Ginny agreed

"Just remember we have to call Neville _Professor Longbottom _now" Hermione stated and I shuddered at how wrong those words sounded. _Professor Longbottom_. He would always be Neville to me. Hermione promptly went back to reading while Ginny and I gushed over baby names for Fleur. It was a mark of Hermione's maturity that she didn't laugh when Ginny or I suggested absolutely ridiculous names. Like Dobby, and Griphook. With her new engagement ring on her finger, she looked like it would be a mark of betrayal to getting married to act immature. Ginny demanded that I tell her every aspect of my summer with Neville, from After Harry's birthday to now. I skimmed over some details that were for mine and Neville's knowledge only. But otherwise my summer was pretty much laid out on the table, pretty uneventful, a couple of picnics here and there and lots of remembering our Friends that died in the battle.

It was dark when we got off the train in Hogsmeade station. The carriages up to the school were waiting for us as per normal.

"What the hell is that?" said Hermione and Ginny in unison, pointing at the thestral pulling the carriage. I laughed and patted its head and it nuzzled me affectionately. Mostly all the thestrals are my good friends. I used to spend lots of time in the forest with them in previous years before I met Neville, Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron

"They're thestrals" I said and Ginny and Hermione moved closer towards it. Looking around, I could see numerous fifth, sixth and seventh years either approaching them cautiously or giving them a wide birth.

"I suppose everyone can see them now" Hermione whispered, "Or anyone that fought in the battle at least."

We clambered into the carriage and set off towards the castle. In a few short days at the very most, I would see Neville again. Being back at Hogwarts never felt so good.

**AN: OHMYGOD! I AM SOOOOOO SORRY! I've had this written for at least two weeks but I've been overseas and my hotel was SUPPOSED to have computers but it didn't. Anyway, Hope you enjoyed chapter 13! Thank You for all your lovely reviews. They inspire me soooo much so please keep leaving them. Also, All stories are on hold until this is finished. So good for the readers of this story, not so good for the readers of others. So I think that I'm going to update every Saturday from now on. I'll see how many chapters I can write during the week and upload them over the weekend. Oh and credit goes to Windy for the idea of Neville going to Hogwarts with an apprenticeship! thanks Windy**

**Leave a review **

**~The Original Horcrux**


	14. The Salem Witch

Chapter 14  
The Salem Witch

The usual babble of chatter that normally filled the great hall at all meals was oddly absent, as Ginny, Hermione and I entered. Groups of no more than three or four sat in huddles whispering to each other in undertones which made the hall sound like a bee hive. I made my way over to the Ravenclaw table while Ginny and Hermione went over to the Gryffindor one. As per-normal, Professor McGonagall lead the first years in to be sorted. There was one girl who stuck out like a sore thumb. First she was taller than the other first years by about four or five feet, second she looked about seventeen or there about Her face was worn and looked tired as she followed the first years up to the front of the hall. Professor McGonagall placed the sorting hat on the stool and began to call out names.

"Ackee, Kate" a small girl with glasses scurried up to the platform and Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head. Seconds later it shouted

"HUFFLEPUFF" and Kate ran over to join them. The sorting went on and on. There seemed to be more first years than ever now. I tuned out for most of it, only pulling out of my trance to applaud someone as they were put into Ravenclaw. I was just starting to think, after a chain of people sorted into Slytherin, that there were going to be no more put into another house when the older girl got called forward.

"Rowe, Abigail" The hat did not fall over Abigail's eyes as it was placed on her head, but sat, perched resolutely like a normal hat as she looked quite as petrified as the first years that were sorted before her. The hat took a long time to decide for Abigail. At least five minutes had passed when the hat finally shouted out

"RAVENCLAW" and a relieved Abigail walked briskly towards us and to my greatest surprise, sat down not next to Arielle Boot and her posse of popular Ravenclaws, but next to me.

"Hi" she whispered as _Smith, Chloe_ was sorted into Hufflepuff "I'm Abigail, just call me Abi though" her accent was strangely American

"Luna Lovegood" I stammered back taking her outstretched hand and shaking it.

"I'll tell you everything over dinner" Abi said, sensing my questions that were bursting to be asked and answered. No sooner had _Zane, Blake _been sorted into Gryffindor, our plates filled with a marvellous Hogwarts welcome dinner. Before I had even opened my mouth, Abi was explaining everything.

"No I'm not a first year, yes I'm from America and Yes I'm almost seventeen." I didn't say anything, thinking it rude to ask Abi why she was at Hogwarts and not at a school in America. Abi shovelled food into her mouth like she hadn't eaten in weeks.

"'ou can 'sk me 'nything if 'ou 'ant" she said spraying me with bits of spit and pieces of chewed chicken. "Oh, sorry" she said, swallowing. I was reminded forcefully of Ron as I cleared the mess from my robes. I looked up just in time to see Abi's black Hogwarts tie change into that of Ravenclaw House.

"Why have you come to Hogwarts?" I asked, trying to sound more inquisitive than rude. I let out a sigh of relief when Abi didn't look hurt. "Where did you go before here?" Abi put down her knife and fork.

"I went to school at the Salem Witches Academy" she said so softly that I had to lean in to hear her. "I came to Hogwarts because a death eater revolt burned down the academy over the summer so all the students had to go somewhere else. Most went to Beauxbatons because everyone at Salem speaks about fourteen different languages, French being the one we learn first, but Mum wanted me to speak my first language at school, rather than struggle with a second one." I was suddenly aware that my jaw was hanging open. I closed it abruptly.

"Even over in America you got affected?" I asked, shocked, I hadn't been aware that the wizarding yanks had the same problems as us with the death eaters. Abi threw back her head and laughed.

"What?" she chuckled "you thought that England had death-eater troubles? Wait till you see America. Dead bodies strewn across the streets with no sign of any injury, people doing stuff that they would never normally do, people going insane without anything apparent happening to them. Well...you can guess what they were" I nodded, shocked, the three unforgivable curses were more misused in America than they were in the war here.

"But the _Prophet _didn't say anything about death eaters abroad" I said before realising that the _Prophet _probably knew full well that there were death eaters, but wanted to cover it up, rather than ensue more panic amongst the wizarding community.

"Yeah well, the papers over in America didn't mention England at all, so I guess we're both as ignorant as each other" Abi said in an undertone. I gave a small smile but inside my head I was roaring with laughter. Abi's personality was as mixture between mine and Ginny's. I was glad she'd sat with me instead of Arielle Boot and her posse. We didn't say much as the plates filled with desserts, but just as I was helping myself to chocolate gateau, Abi spoke.

"So, Isn't Hogwarts were the death eaters fought your lot?" she asked casually.

"yeah" I replied

"and this is where Harry Potter defeated Voldemort?"

"Yeah" I replied and without thinking I said "He's one of my best friends" Abi looked awestruck and she suddenly seemed to sit up a bit straighter.

"Really? Can you introduce me?" she asked, looking around the hall as if to see Harry's untidy black hair somewhere along the Gryffindor table with a sign stuck to it that said _Hey look it's Harry Potter! Now signing Photographs. _

"He doesn't go to Hogwarts anymore" I said dreamily "he finished last year"

"Oh" Abi said, looking dejected "I knew that" I chuckled to myself as Professor McGonagall's speech was much the same as Dumbledore's. Welcoming the students, recapping over some rules us seventh years had heard a million times before, Quidditch tryouts, a tribute to those lost in the battle and the introduction of the new professors. Professor Murray who would teach defence against the dark arts, Professor Abbot, who would assist Professor McGonagall in the transfiguration department and Professor Longbottom, who would be assisting Professor Sprout in Herbology. I smiled widely as Neville and the assistant Transfiguration teacher came in from the chamber off the hall. He saw me and smiled back with a small wave to the rest of the students who were applauding him.

"I hope we get him" Abi whispered in my ear, "That Sprig- or whatever her name is- woman doesn't look too agile, plus," the last two words were a whisper "He's hot" I didn't say anything, I was bursting to tell Abi that Neville was my boyfriend, but I didn't think it would look too good if she knew I was dating a teacher. I wanted the same thing as Abi, all I knew was that I wanted Neville to be my teacher too.

* * *

**AN: SURPRISE! Thank You so much for all your lovely reviews. I had to update today, look out for chapter 15 and possibly 16 next Saturday and Sunday! Please leave a review, you have no Idea how much it helps me write. I also write a lot quicker when the reviews grow so the story will probably be up a lot quicker when you review. So please Review. I'm going to start replying to my reviewers and thanking you personally for taking the time to Review. I hope I don't leave any of you out. And to all my anonymous reviewers, **_**Lily, Bree, Windy, 2lazy2login, Cursed, Patsy Fan72, Gia, Chestnut Cloak, Jan, Autumn,**_ _**Denver Kennedy, BAM, KdaKid and Songbird. **_**I can't thank you enough for reviewing and I hope you're still enjoying Neville and Luna's story. **

**Until Next Saturday my friends. And please remember to review.**


	15. The Room Of Requirement

**AN: Hi guys! Look an update! Okay that was cheesy. Anyway, I have to acknowledge my anonymous reviewers! Cos you guys mean soooo much to me, feel free to skive over this part if you're not anonymous.  
**_Windy: _(Thanks for the review, so glad you're enjoying my story and hope you will continue to do so. I won't say anything that gives the plot away but you're pretty damn close. It's like you read my mind! Your feedback and contribution is always valued and appreciated (that goes to all of you)  
_Lily: _(thanks again for the review, I know you've been following the story since the early stages. Hope you enjoy the next chapter)

**And before I start, I have a teensy bit of info that I'd like to share with you all. I'M GOING TO THE HARRY POTTER EXHIBITION! I'll have fun for everyone. And to everyone who's actually already been. Tell me nothing I want to see for myself. Anyway on with the story. Enjoy**

* * *

Chapter 15  
The Room Of Requirement

Wednesday came way too slowly for my liking. My Herbology classes had been split between Professor Sprout and Neville, or _Professor Longbottom _as I now must call him. I'd had my first one on Tuesday afternoon with Professor Sprout and the next one would be on Thursday morning with Neville.

I woke on Wednesday morning to Abi throwing a pillow at her alarm clock, missing and hitting me in the face. Abi hated her alarm clock. It was only the fact that it had been a gift from her best friend at Salem to get her to wake up on time that stopped her throwing against the wall. It didn't take me long to realise that Abi wasn't a morning person. She was grumpy until about ten o'clock when she'd wake up properly and be chatty and bubbly. It was nice to have a friend in all of my classes, Abi was constantly talking to me about one thing or another. Mostly it was about how much Hogwarts differed from Salem.

Breakfast was quiet. Abi was still waking up. Ginny and Hermione strolled over and had a small chat but as Abi was so grumpy, I didn't bother to introduce her.

I looked at Wednesday on my timetable. First Period, Arithmancy. Second and third Period; Double Potions. Fourth Period: Defence Against the dark arts. Fifth Period: Muggle Studies. I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that Herbology was tomorrow, rather than today. No Matter, I would see Neville this afternoon. Without any hesitation, I set off to first period Arithmancy with Abi.

I hadn't wanted to take Arithmancy in the first place, It was something that daddy had said was a worthwhile subject taking. So I had. I was good at the subject, but I never had enjoyed it. I had no Idea how I'd passed my Arithmancy OWL and why I was taking it to NEWT level, seeing as all I did was stare out the window the whole time, letting the wrackspurts take over my brain. Abi on the other hand, seemed relatively excited. She had taken Arithmancy back at Salem and was top of the class, earning a lot of reproachful looks from Arielle Boot, when Abi got an answer that she didn't know. (Arielle was supposed to be top of the class)

Arithmancy was a bloody bore, like always, and my spirits were thoroughly trampled on by the time I got to double potions with the Hufflepuffs. The new Potions teacher didn't help. Professor Gallo was honestly the WORST teacher in the world. Head of Slytherin house, Professor Gallo, was as bad, If not worse than Snape. She favoured every person who wore Slytherin robes and took pleasure in giving detention to anyone that didn't even for the slightest thing, like spilling potion ingredients, and asking how to cut something up. Poor Abi, who was not used to Professor Gallo's antics. (To be honest, neither was I, though I'd always kept my trap shut in potions, due to what happened to Ginny on the first day; Two weeks detention for following the instructions wrong was just a little too harsh) was chattering away to me about the first Hogsmeade visit of the year and how excited she was. Both of us were unaware of Professor Gallo creeping up behind us.

"Going off topic are we Miss Rowe" She said, snidely, It was remarkable how she even knew our names, seeing as this was only the second potions lesson. "Well" she mused. "I think a week's worth of detentions should keep you on the ball, don't you?"

"That's not fair," Abi yelled, and from the moment the words left her mouth, I knew it was a bad thing to say. A sickly sweet smile of satisfaction spread across Professor Gallo's face.

"Make that two weeks, Miss Rowe, starting tomorrow night at 6pm." and with that, she pranced off back to her table. I clamped a hand over Abi's mouth to stop her from getting another week of detention under her belt. Eventually, she stopped struggling and we completed the double period in silence, though if looks were yells, the classroom would we in chaos right now with the glares that Abi was giving Professor Gallo. Professor Gallo, or the whore as she was now known, reminded me of Professor Umbridge, though she wasn't in charge of the school thank Merlin. I had no Idea what her detention methods were like, but I hope to muggle god it's not Umbridge's magical quill. What could be worse than having your hand sliced open over and over again.

Defence against the dark art's seemed to speed by and before we knew it, Muggle Studies was upon us, the last lesson of the day. I began counting down the hours until I would see Neville. I was hardly listening as Professor Gordon explained that we would be studying what Muggle's studied in their schools. Something about History, and Geography. There was also a mandatory language we'd have to take. Abi immediately ticked French, and seeing as she had. I did also. We had just started on a muggle subject called Maths, which I really didn't get, when the bell rang. Excitement rose in my chest. Only three more hours.

~0~

With thirty minutes to go I left the dormitory. I'd fed Abi a lie that I'd left some notes in the library where we'd been studying after dinner and had to go and get them. I was surprised that she ate it up. The corridors were almost silent. Only Fifth, sixth and seventh years were allowed out after seven but most of them were probably using their times to study.

It was a short walk to the Room of Requirement from Ravenclaw tower, and before I knew it I was walking passed that blank stretch of wall.

_I need a place to meet Neville _I thought as I walked back and forth _I need a place to meet Neville, I need a place to Meet Neville. _

I opened my eyes to see an ornate silver door. I pushed it open slowly, to reveal a large room, with a table set for two and a fire crackling merrily in the grate. There was a couch and a muggle electronic device that I think was called a television. My knowledge of muggle devices was only due to taking muggle studies since third year. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to operate one.

I sat down on the couch and waited. It couldn't have been more than a minute later that Neville strolled merrily through the door.

"Luna" he said happily as I got up and flung my arms around his neck, kissing every inch of his face I could reach. I lingered a little longer on his lips. When we pulled out, he held me at arm length. I could only think of three words.

"I missed you"


	16. The Apprentice Professors

**AN: A huge thanks to my reviewers and hopefully I didn't leave any of you out when I replied. To my anonymous reviewers who I unfortunately cannot reply to via PM  
**_Lily: _(Thanks again for the review! Yes Neville and Luna will spend the year together, but I'll say that it's not going to run smoothly)**  
**_Windy: _(yes, poor Abi. HP exhibition's gonna be soo awesome. Not making anyone jealous or anything. Glad you're enjoying the story)  
**Enjoy my friends! Reviews are always appreciated and valued. Oh and this is the longest chapter of the story so far which I'm REALLY excited about **

* * *

Chapter 16  
The Apprentice Professors

"I don't want to go back to Ravenclaw tower" I said into Neville's ear as I wound my fingers in his coarse black hair. "I want to stay here with you"

"Why don't you then" he said mischievously, pulling me back to lie next to him on the couch where we kissed for a while, stopping only to draw breath.

It was nearly midnight and we hadn't really spoken much, all our catching up had been through the thoroughly non-verbal sport of kissing and hugging, and sitting next to each other in silence. I'd managed to draw myself away from him for half an hour to have some dinner. That was when we'd spoken the most. It was pretty much me rambling about how much homework I had to do. And Neville giving me understanding nods.

Neville and I broke apart as a double bed appeared in the middle of the room. Both of us looked at it for a split second before we both burst out laughing,

"Well, the room's getting a little suggestive isn't it?" I said between giggles, while Neville pretended to playfully smack the room for egging us on.

"Well, I guess it can't hurt to sleep in the same bed" Neville said, going over and pulling back the covers. "All we need now are pyjamas"

I looked around. As hospitable as the room might've been, it obviously didn't sprout pyjamas whenever you needed them. It looks like I was going to have to sleep in my robes. I slid in next to Neville, It was just like over the summer. We'd fall asleep in each other's arms. It was oddly comforting to have his body warmth near me. I felt protected, as if no one could touch me with him so close. It was probably Neville's presence that helped me to fall asleep so quickly and easily.

~0~

"Luna, Luna, wake up"

I opened my eyes blearily to see Neville shaking my shoulder gently.

"Whazzetime?" I asked, my words slurring together. It seemed to be the only question that I ever asked when I was woken up. Probably so I could decide whether it was too late to go back to sleep.

"I don't know, early" he replied, trying in vain to get me out of the comfortable bed. "Come on Luna, you have to get back to Ravenclaw tower before breakfast"

I suddenly sat bolt upright, remembering where we were. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and attempted to straighten out my robes as best I could. If you've ever slept in clothes, you'll know that A) they get really crumpled and B) sometimes they decide to strangle you, attempt twist off you or slide off if you're a rough sleeper, like me. I swear my clothes are out to get me, as all three of those things happened. My cloak lay under the bed covers, my blouse was almost round the wrong way and my tie was a little too tight on my neck. I checked that I looked presentable enough to be walking around the corridors and kissed Neville

"See you soon" I whispered, remembering that it was Thursday morning and I'd have Herbology with him in second and third period. I couldn't help smiling as we walked out of the door. Kissed briefly and went in opposite directions, Neville to the staff room, and me to the Ravenclaw common room.

~0~

The Castle was deserted. Not a soul was out at whatever time it was in the morning. I'd left my watch in the room of requirement. As I walked, I wound my hair into a long braid that fell down over my left shoulder. I let my mind wonder. It didn't wonder far as it just landed again on Neville. He would be in the staff room now, planning the day's lessons.

I reached the common room and trekked up to my dorm to find Abi sitting awake on her bed.

"Where were you last night? I fell asleep waiting for you?" She asked immediately. My heart skipped a beat, I was trapped.

"I-I got caught by madam Pince and she gave me a half an hour long lecture on being out of bed after hours" I invented wildly. "You were asleep when I got back"

"So, where were you this morning?" she asked.

"Uhm, sending a letter, I prefer not to do it at breakfast" I said.

"And your bed is made because...?" Abi asked

"I make my bed when I get up" I replied slowly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Fair enough" Abi said, flopping back onto her bed and closing her eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on my bed

"What's up with you?" I asked "you're never normally up this early"

"I was worried about you" she said, looking sideways at me. "When you didn't come back last night"

"Well, thanks, but I'm fine" I smiled, looking at the clock on Abi's bedside table. It wasn't that early. 7:30, and breakfast started at 8. Abi's alarm clock went off, making me jump out of my skin. The sound was quickly stifled by Abi's pillow as she flung it at her bedside table, hitting it's mark this time.

"Let's go down to breakfast" I said and Abi groaned but obliged.

~0~

I couldn't believe I had a single period of charms before Herbology, which had quickly become my favourite subject. Abi had just remembered that she had detention with Professor Gallo that night when I heard the voice that had given me hell for the last six years call out across the crowd. It was Stephanie May, one of Arielle Boot's friends. She was a right little charmer when Arielle was around but when she was out of earshot, her snide comments could get her re-sorted into Slytherin any day.

"Hey Rowe." She sniggered, and I was glad that her comments were not directed at me for once, though I did feel a little bit sorry for Abi.

"What?" Abi said, her American accent becoming more pronounced.

"Is it true that you've got a detention from Professor Gallo already? Are you that awful at potions?" Stephanie sneered.

"Well, I'm not as awful as you, I didn't see you in the NEWT potions class" Abi said cooly. That wiped the smile of Stephanie's face

"Do you know who I am?" Stephanie asked with menace.

"Hey everyone" Abi said to the class at large "This girl here has forgotten her own name, can someone remind her?" This earned a roar of laughter and a couple of shouts of things like

"Nice one Rowe!" or

"Go Abigail!"

"You think you're so smart and witty don't you Rowe" snapped Stephanie, "But really you're just a stupid, dumb, Loser" she paused "We all know that you only hang out with Lovegood because she knows Harry Potter"

"And we all know that you only hang out with Boot to mask what a bitch you are" Abi stopped as the smirk disappeared again off Stephanie's face. She leaned in closer. "NEWSFLASH" she yelled in Stephanie's ear "YOU'RE FAILING!" Again, this earned a loud round of cheering and support from our classmates.

"YOU BITCH" Stephanie yelled and flung herself at Abi, her arms outstretched as if to throttle her.

"_Stupefy" _Abi said, almost lazily, flicking her wand at Stephanie. She fell back to the floor, stunned. Unfortunately, Professor Flitwick chose this moment to walk into the room.

"Miss Rowe!" he said, scandalised "What have you done?"

"Relax professor" Abi said, stowing her wand in her robes "she's just stunned"

"Miss Rowe, you know that magic is not permitted out of classes. Five points from Ravenclaw and you will do detention at 7pm tonight in my office"

Abi groaned as Professor Flitwick pointed his wand at Stephanie and said _Enervate. _She got up, glared at Abi and sat herself down in the row in front of us.

"I'm so screwed" Abi moaned after Professor Flitwick had set the class to work. "I've got detention with Gallo at six then blood y detention with Flitwick at seven. Plus I've got the Transfiguration, Arithmancy and Potions essays to do. And we have to practise transfiguring couches into animals for McGonagall. And I bet you a thousand Galleons that we get more homework today."

It had just dawned on me how much work we actually had. It didn't help that both our Herbology and Transfiguration classes were split between the two teachers and we were bound to get different homework from both. Not only did we have so much work, but I'd missed a whole night of doing it by going to see Neville last night.

"You're dead Rowe" Stephanie hissed, rocking back on her chair to talk to us.

"Funny" sneered Abi "you'd think I would've stopped talking" which was exactly the type of thing I swear I'd heard Harry say to Malfoy back in my fourth year.

"No one hexes me and gets away with it"

"Yeah well here's the thing. No one calls me a loser and gets away with it, now, I've already hexed you once, so I suggest, unless you want the bat bogey hex next time, that you refrain from making stupid comments that only make you look like a bully and an idiot" Abi said, so quietly that I was surprised that Stephanie heard her.

"Stay out of my life Rowe"

"Here's the thing, as much as I'd love to, I'm stuck with you. For this year at least" Abi said, just as the bell rang. Abi patted Stephanie on the shoulder and walked out. Stephanie was looking murderous, but it was the look of someone who just got completely owned. My heart skipped a beat as I realised what was next. I was so caught up in the Abi/Stephanie argument, that I'd forgotten all about Herbology. I half ran half skipped down to the greenhouses where Neville, or _Professor Longbottom _was waiting for us.

We were by no means the first ones there, there were a couple of Hufflepuffs and a few Slytherins taking Herbology to NEWT level, but the majority were Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. I sat in my seat next to Abi, trying to avoid Neville's eye, he, it seemed was doing the exact same thing.

Once everyone had arrived, Neville started the lesson.

"Alright everyone, calm down, I am Professor Longbottom and I am the assistant Herbology teacher." I was quite impressed about how much his speaking in front of crowds had improved "I'm supposed to give you a lecture about how important your NEWTS are, but I think Professor Sprout has already told you." There was an outbreak of grateful murmuring. He clapped his hands together and the class fell silent.

"Now, today we will be working with the venomous tentacula. It is a class designed only for seventh years taking Herbology to NEWT level. Yes the swearing rules are still in place Mr. Ingleside," he said to a Hufflepuff boy who had his arm in the air. "divide into pairs and see if you can get to the seeds in the middle of the tentacula without getting stung. I've got several bottles of antidote." He said, indicating bottles to the right of him, upon receiving startled looks.

Abi and I collected a small tentacula from the front of the class. The main tentacula would remain untouched as it was much too dangerous for seventh years to handle. Upon seeing it, I saw what Neville was talking about when he said seeds. In the centre of the plants base there was a small, pot-like, coil which held about a dozen seeds. To a muggle, they'd look like sesame seeds, but to us, we knew they could be identified by the black stripe down the side.

Neville moved around, giving antidotes and assisting people in beating back the tentacula to get to the seeds in the middle. When he reached me, he seemed to want to protect me from the tentacula and had to take a whole bottle of antidote for himself.

All in all, it was one of the better Herbology lessons and by the time we were walking to transfiguration. Abi and I were stinging in a lot of places and feeling a little woozy from the antidote.

"I think he fancies you" Abi said, swatting a fly carelessly off her nose.

"Who, Nev- Professor Longbottom?" I asked

"Yeah"

I laughed, well, I was going to have to tell her sometime. "Of course he fancies me, he's my boyfriend" I said. Abi looked at me for a few seconds before she burst out laughing.

"You're dating a teacher" she laughed in a sing song voice.

"He wasn't a teacher when I started dating him" I said, annoyed that she found my dating Neville funny. Abi just shook her head and continued to laugh all the way to transfiguration.


	17. Hogsmeade

**AN: Hey Hey, It's Saturday. Guess what that means! UPDATE! Anyway, thanks to my anonymous reviewers who I wish I could reply to via PM, but can't.  
**_Lily: _(Glad you're enjoying the story. As always, thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this chapter)  
_Windy: _(Abi's my favourite too! I love writing her. She's based largely off Ron and one of my friends. Not going to say who because they read this story as well. *waves to friends* Anyway, glad you're enjoying the story and thank you very much for the review, as always. Hope you enjoy this chapter)  
**Also, before I start, just like Luna, I have exams coming up and am flat out (well maybe not flat out, but I'm getting lots of work) studying. So chapters may not come on time. Chapter 18 may come on Monday/Tuesday rather than tomorrow... just figured I should let you know.**

* * *

Chapter 17  
Hogsmeade

By the following Friday we had so much work that I didn't think it was possible to actually complete it without becoming an insomniac. I knew I shouldn't complain, Abi had it worse than me. She still had a week's worth of detentions with Professor Gallo.

"Damn my big mouth" Abi moaned, trudging back into the common room, flexing her fingers. The first week she was forced to write _"I will stay on task" _a hundred and fifty times. This week she had to write _"I will control my temper" _three hundred times. I shot her a sympathetic look and returned to the Defence against the Dark Arts essay.

"Look on the bright side" I said, still scratching away with my quill. Writing about the unforgivable curses, which of course, I already knew about, all of the seventh years did. It didn't stop them from taking it out of the seventh year curriculum. "At least you only have..." I broke off and counted on my fingers. "five days left" Abi let out a louder groan.

"Ugh, way to hex me when I'm stunned Luna!" she whined, grudgingly pulling out her own essay and writing the title. "So, what do the unforgivable curses do?"

I let out an exasperated sigh and pushed the notes that I'd taken in class towards her.

"Sweet, thanks Luna" she grinned, bending over her parchment and started scribbling away. After a few lines however, she stopped, massaging her hand.

"you alright?" I asked, concerned.

"Yeah" she winced. "wrote too quickly in the last session, my muscles have seized up" she drew her wand "I'm going to do some spells" she muttered an incantation under her breath and the nearest table turned into a newt which ran up a first years leg. The boy squealed like a pig and Abi laughed out loud. I stifled a giggle as Abi leaned back and whispered

"Reckon I should turn him into a pig?"

I snorted with laughter as the newt ran down the first year's other trouser leg and made for the safety of the underside of the cupboard. Abi flicked her wand again and the Newt became a table again. The boy glared at Abi as we stifled our laughter.

"Sorry Kid" Abi apologised, with a grin quite similar to the Cheshire cat spreading across her face, she moved the table back over to where the first year had been studying and patted him on the shoulder. "I think I should refrain from performing spells in the common room" Abi sighed, picking up her quill and continuing to write the essay.

I stared around the common room, my eyes lingering enviously on the first and second years lounging carelessly by the fire.

"Ow" I exclaimed, rubbing the back of my head as a few second years ran by, shooting stink pellets at studying seventh years.

"Pipe down will you!" Abi yelled, throwing a screwed up sheet of paper after the giggling second years "some of us are trying to study!" the younger students, of course, ignored her and continued to wreak havoc in the common room. "I hate second years" Abi muttered. Obviously trying to concentrate as the next second she'd stuck her fingers in her ears and began to read over what she'd written, her lips moving soundlessly.

I grudgingly made a start on my extra transfiguration homework for Professor Abbot; I swear that woman has something against me. I turned my chair into a mouse instead of a newt and I got ten times more homework than the rest of the class. It didn't help that she kept shooting me death stares every ten minutes. I couldn't help but overhear some third year girls talking about the Hogsmeade weekend. _What Hogsmeade weekend? _Was my immediate thought, and out of force of habit, I looked over to the notice board, and sure enough, stuck between the list for the gobstones club and general announcements was the details of the next visit to Hogsmeade.

I sat up straight in my seat having been struck by an idea. I pulled a piece of spare parchment out of my bag and scribbled a letter to Neville.

_Neville, _

_Just saw that there's a Hogsmeade visit this weekend, do you want to meet in the three broomsticks about one?_

_Luna_

I slid the letter and my unfinished essay into my bag and slung it over my shoulder.

"I'll be back" I said to Abi, who merely grunted in response, trying to keep her focus on the large block of text she was reading and not on the chaos that was the common room.

I slid almost unnoticed out into the corridor and began to walk up to the owlery. It was still early and there were a few students wondering the corridors. I pulled my dirty blonde hair out of its ponytail and let it fall in my face to avoid being recognised. I'd attracted quite a lot of attention from the younger students from fighting in the battle. Most of the seventh years had, Hermione especially. Normally I didn't mind being stopped and asked about the battle, it felt like I belonged in the school community. But I didn't want to be stopped and badgered for information right now.

It seemed like an age before I finally reached the Owlery. Twice I'd been forced to double back through hidden passageways to avoid some first years who wanted to know what Voldemort's corpse looked like. The Owlery was a few degrees cooler than the rest of the castle, and had the distinct smell of owl droppings.

I clucked my tongue and my Barn Owl, Finch, flew down and perched on my shoulder. I fed her one of the mouldy owl treats that constantly resided in my pockets and began to tie the scroll of parchment to her leg.

"Take this to Neville alright" I said softly to her, she hooted and flew out of the window. I watched her fly off across the grounds, then double back on herself towards Neville's office window. I laughed softly as she back flipped in midflight, realising that the recipient she was delivering to was in the same vicinity as the sender. I looked out at the darkening grounds for a few minutes, it was hard to believe that short of three months ago, this had been a battle ground. If I closed my eyes I could see the flaming grounds, bodies flying everywhere, I could hear the screams and the bangs of spells.

_NO!_

I yelled internally at myself. It was hard enough forgetting about the heavy losses that we had sustained; I didn't need to remember them all over again. I turned on my heel, cursing myself angrily, and began to walk back to Ravenclaw tower.

With every corner that I rounded, I expected to see spells flying at me, expected to see bodies strewn on the ground. Of course, none came. It was all in my head. I suppose that I had the right to be paranoid, even though Voldemort was finished and his followers would never be allowed out of Azkaban, walking the corridors alone didn't fail to send a shiver up my spine.

The common room was absolutely jam packed when I returned; Abi had obviously had to abandon ship as she was no longer at the table I'd left her at. There was a large crowd that mulled around three fourth year boys, who were giving a brilliant performance of break dancing. Everyone that wasn't watching them, was either throwing things at each other, or running around screaming as their friends chased them with a manor of disgusting creatures in their hands. It didn't surprise me that they were _all _below fourth year. The elder students had evacuated, leaving the common room to their mercy. Big mistake.

I didn't have the heart to tell them to stop. Sure I was one of the eldest students in the school, but I didn't feel like I had the authority to tell them that they needed to tone the noise down.

I was almost knocked over by Abi running down the stairs with a murderous expression on her face.

"OI" she bellowed and the common room fell silent "KEEP IT DOWN TO A DULL ROAR WILL YOU! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO WORK!" when no one made a sound Abi seemed satisfied. "Thank you" she said exasperatedly and turning to go up the stairs. I hurried up after her.

"Whoa, Abi, what was that?" I asked in what I hoped was an impressed voice.

"God I hate kids. I swear I was never that immature or noisy!" She grumbled, rubbing her temples, and smoothing out a piece of parchment that bore the obvious marks of being screwed up and flattened out multiple times. "Has the common room always been _that_ noisy?"

"Not really, I guess that the first years are celebrating being able to come to Hogwarts, and everyone else is celebrating coming back. If Voldemort's side had won, then Hogwarts would've become living hell" I reminded her.

"Yeah I guess" she grunted. "Well at least they're quiet now"

It was true, the cheering and squealing from the common room had stopped, and I found I could hear myself think for the first time since I'd returned.

A tapping on the window made me snap out of my trance. My head snapped up to see Finch with a letter in her beak. I hurried over to the window and opened it. Finch flew in and dropped the letter on my bed, drank a little from the water jug beside my bed, hooted in thanks and flew out again. I unfurled the letter eagerly.

_Sure, see you then!  
I miss you  
Neville_

A wide smile spread across my face as I read the letter through again. It had only been a day since I'd last seen Neville, but I found I missed him more than if I hadn't seen him at all. It was horrible seeing him in classes, knowing that I couldn't hug him, knowing I couldn't hold him and kiss him. Our meetings in the room of requirement had been cut short with the amount of work we both had to do. It was like a constant stomach ache whenever I wasn't with him. I missed him so much. Abi's soft snores filled the room as exhaustion took her over. I put the letter on my bedside table. In a few short hours I would see Neville again. He was all I thought about as I drifted off into dreams of round happy faces.

* * *

I pulled my coat tighter around my shoulders. It was early October and the weather was starting to get quite chilly, it was cooler than it normally was at this time of year, but who can predict what the weather is going to do?

"Why is it so cold?" Abi muttered, her teeth chattering. "My toes lost feeling when we left the grounds, not to mention various other parts which I'm not prepared to mention"

I snorted with laughter at her statement. Abi was great at diffusing the tension, no matter what the situation, even if she didn't mean to. She'd been positively excited when I'd asked her if she wanted to come into Hogsmeade with me. When I'd told her about the date with Neville, after a bout of laughter (she still hadn't got used to me dating a teacher) she said that she'd find some people from our year to hang out with. I wished I could be like Abi, so carefree and confident. To most, I was on the outside, but on the inside, every time someone called me "Loony" it was like a knife through my chest.

"Hey Abi, want to come to Honeydukes with us?" A voice called over the whistling winds. I looked up to see Aline and Phoebe Oakley, the twins, as everyone in Ravenclaw referred to them as, beckoning Abi over to them.

"Sure" Abi called back, before turning back to me. "Good luck with..." she broke off with a small giggle "Prof-I mean Neville" and she ran off to join Aline and Phoebe.

I continued on through the heavy winds towards the three broomsticks. I was shivering and couldn't wait to get some warm butterbeer inside me.

"Luna?" came a small voice from behind me. I stopped and turned around to see a fifth year girl coming towards me. "Luna Lovegood?"

"That's me" I said. Hoping she didn't want a blow-by-blow account of my duel with Bellatrix.

"Ava Montenelli" she said promptly, holding her hand out for me to shake. I took it and she launched into conversation. "I fought alongside you in May, during the battle. I was the one who shot that stunner at Bellatrix so that the killing curse she was aiming at you went off course"

"Thanks" I said, unsure of what to say.

"You're welcome. So, how's Harry Potter?" she asked

I groaned internally. I should've guessed, she wanted to know about Harry.

"He's fine" I said, attempting to stop my teeth from chattering. "Hey, Ava, I'm supposed to be in the three broomsticks in five minutes"

"Oh, so am I" she said brightly, starting to walk up the cobblestone streets "I'm meeting a couple of friends in there"

Glad to be moving again, I started to feel a bit more comfortable in Ava's presence.

"So, you're fifth year right?" I said, attempting conversation.

"Yeah" she replied

"Studying for your OWLS?"

"Studying?" she laughed "I'm more like eating, drinking, sleeping and breathing OWL study. There is so much work it's impossible to complete without becoming an insomniac!"

I laughed as she pretty much quoted what I'd thought the previous night

"you think OWLs are tough, wait till you get to NEWTs" I said, not exactly encouraging her, but oh well. You know what they say, Honesty is the best policy. Ava groaned.

"Wonderful" she said sarcastically. I could almost feel the warmth of the three broomsticks emanating from the cosy lights in the pub. I sped up my pace and Ava had to run to keep up.

"So, who are you meeting?" Ava asked as we came within 10 feet of the pub,

"Just a friend" I replied awkwardly. Only my intimate friends were allowed to know about my relationship with Neville.

I honestly was glad to be shot of Ava when I got into the warmth of the three broomsticks, she saw her Friends and left me without a second glance.

I scanned the room twice, but I didn't see Neville's black hair and round happy face, until I looked over to the furthest, most removed corner of the pub. There he was, lounging on the seat with a butterbeer in front of him. I felt a stupid grin spread across my face as I began to walk towards him.


	18. So Much To Tell You

**Okay, so I missed my update date five times in a row...I'm a crappy updater. I may or may not have decided to write the last three chapters before I started this... oh and a fair warning, two new OC's appear in this chapter and they are INSANE! They actually make Luna look normal. ANYWAY, I got soo many reviews for the last chapter and not just the last chapter, but for previous chapters as well! I'm so happy right now! Anonymous reviewers. (There's A LOT this time)**

_Alex: (Thank you), Tamsin: (Thanks), Mandy: (Thank you), HP Fan: (Aw thanks. Glad you're enjoying the story), Aisha: (Thanks), Salome: (Thank you), Always: (thanks), Kirisee: (thanks), Lily: (Merci beaucoup. As always, thanks for the review. Hope this chapter lives up to your expectations), Windy: (there's a lot more where that came from...with Hannah I mean. Thanks for the review)_

* * *

Chapter 18  
So Much to Tell You

It took all my willpower to keep me from running towards Neville and kissing him. I was well aware that the pub was full of Hogwarts students and that being seen snogging a teacher wasn't that good for my image. I walked calmly over and slid into the seat opposite him. As soon as I sat down, he got up. I frowned as he walked towards the door. That was when I saw a piece of paper on the table.

_Too suspicious, meet me in the Hogs head._

Now it made sense. I turned on my heel and quickly made my way out. I saw Neville walking briskly through the windy streets of Hogsmeade towards the faintly flickering lights of the hogs head. I bundled my flimsy scarf around my face and bent my head against the wind. I saw the door to the Hogs head open and close quickly. I broke into a run and arrived within seconds at the broken down old pub. I wrenched the door open and stepped inside. Abeforth Dumbledore waved a little to me from behind the counter and I smiled briefly back as I saw Neville's coat whip around the corner where I knew there were secluded tables.

I took a deep breath, steadied myself and walked around the corner. There he was, sitting in a comfortable armchair by a blazing fire. I felt my face crack into a grin at the exact same time as his. I slid onto the moth eaten chair beside him as Abeforth brought us some Butterbeers. When he was safely out of the way, I made sure no one was looking and I wrapped my hands around his neck and brought him in for a deep long kiss.

"I've missed you" he said softly into my ear, his chin resting on my shoulder.

"I've missed you too" I breathed back, kissing him again.

"Get a Room!" someone yelled and we broke apart abruptly. I hastily took a sip of butterbeer as Neville began to tell me about particular students that messed up in his Herbology classes. I listened attentively, recognising some names from the first, second and third years that constantly messed up in the Ravenclaw common room.

"Classes with Hermione and Ginny are the best" he continued, after a particularly long rant about Hufflepuff first years in his classes. "Ginny puts everyone in their place and Hermione answers every single question without fail. It's kind of weird to be teaching her after being in her class for so many years." He finished with a smile.

"How are the Slytherins treating you?" I asked, intertwining my fingers with his as he lounged back in the chair.

"They're a little more scared of me now I have the power to give them detention" he laughed, and took a sip of butterbeer. "What about you? How's the workload fairing?"

"It sucks" I exclaimed, leaning my head on his shoulder "There's so much to do; I've hardly slept"

"NEWT year really sucks...at least you don't have the Carrows breathing down your neck, end of year exams were the worst" He said, shuddering at the memory of his hellish seventh year.

"It doesn't help that the new transfiguration teacher, _Professor Abbott_ or whatever her name is, seems to have a grudge against me! I got ten times the amount of homework that everyone else got" I groaned, Neville laughed.

"Hannah never really liked Ravenclaws."

"_Hannah?" _I asked him "You're on first name terms with that bitch?"

"Luna" he laughed, hitting my shoulder "Let's not badmouth your teachers now" I smiled slightly, still with a questioning look on my face as to why he knew her by first name. "Hannah was in my year at Hogwarts, she was a Hufflepuff"

"Oh" I said, I'd had no idea why she would give me more homework when half the class was in Ravenclaw. She'd even been quite friendly to Arielle Boot and Stephanie May. Maybe she had a grudge against blondes? Or I'd been the straw that broke the camels back when it came to messing up in transfiguration.

"You know it would help me a lot more if you didn't set us essays every lesson" I said poking him playfully in the stomach.

"It's in the syllabus" he grunted "plus" he began to laugh "just remember who has to mark all those essays" he poked me back and I giggled "you also might want to be a bit careful when you're writing them, your last one was adorned in little hearts... your friends might begin to suspect something"

I blushed "It's just Abi who I sit with in class, and she knows about us"

"Abi?" said Neville, looking bewildered "Oh is she that American girl with the brown hair and blue eyes?"

"The very same" I said with a grin "you should've seen how much she laughed at me when I told her."

"What'd she do?"

"Teased me... mostly it was 'you're dating a teacher' but I can deal with that" I said, putting my forehead on his and kissing him again, hoping the tipsy wizard who had shouted at us before wasn't looking. Maybe he had, maybe he hadn't but a few minutes later Abeforth rounded the corner with an apologetic expression on his face.

"Neville, Luna, this man here" he jerked his thumb to the tipsy wizard "would like you to either go upstairs and 'get a room' or would like you to leave" he leaned in closer and whispered in our ears "He's a eunuch" now we suddenly understood why he was so irritated with us snogging in the middle of a pub.

"We'll leave" said Neville, looking at his watch "We have to be back at the school in fifteen minutes anyway" Abeforth nodded, I took Neville's hand and we walked out of the pub.

The wind had died down and there was an eerie feeling about the Hogsmeade streets around the Hog's head, but as we neared the three broomsticks, students were pouring out of it and running back up to the school, attempting to get back up before their time was up.

"I guess this is where I leave you" said Neville, bending down to kiss me. I never wanted to let him go, but it would only be for a short time until I could see him again. I nodded and kissed him softly again, holding onto his arm for as long as possible as he walked away.

I stood my ground as I watched him round a corner, then began walking, sure that there was no chance any students could see that we had been walking together.

"Luna!" I heard Abi's voice call from behind me. I whirled around to see her, Aline and Phoebe walking quickly towards me. I could see their pockets bulging with Zonko's products and knew that the Ravenclaw's were in for a stinky night.

"How was your date?" Aline asked, coming up on my left and panic seized me. Had Abi told them?

"Who was it with, Abi won't say" Phoebe chirruped, appearing on my other side and taking my arm as Abi strolled up ahead.

"No one" I mumbled, trying to twist out of their grip. Abi turned around and started to walk backwards

"Meet the twins, better known as the tweedles" Abi smirked as Aline and Phoebe frog marched me up the street.

"The what?" I asked, confused.

"They're characters out of a muggle fairy tale" Aline said, letting go of my arm and dancing around me. "Phoebe and I are the tweedles and Abi is the White Rabbit, because she was late coming out of the bathroom"

"You look lost Alice, follow the rabbit Alice" said Phoebe, grabbing my wrist and pulling me after Abi who had broken into a run out in front of us. By the time I'd managed to shake her off and catch up with Abi, I was thoroughly weirded out by the display, and people called me Loony.

"What was that?" I asked Abi "Why are they calling you the white rabbit? And why are they calling me Alice?"

"I'll explain later, Alice in Wonderland is quite complicated" Abi said.

"WHAT?" I said, confused, as the twins began to Frog march me, again, towards the castle.

* * *

From that Hogsmeade visit on, Aline and Phoebe, now better known to Abi and I as the tweedles, became our friends, I didn't know how the knowledge that they were loners hadn't reached my ears in my seven years at Hogwarts. Aline and Phoebe were muggle borns, and obsessed with the Muggle fairy tale, _Alice in Wonderland_. So much so they'd taken to naming people in the year after characters, of course, people thought they were insane because no one here knew what _Alice in Wonderland _was, well apart from other muggle borns, who also thought the tweedles insane.

Over the next few weeks, the workload that was being piled onto us by the teachers grew ever larger.

"It's not fair!" Aline burst out, in the common room, after we were set yet more homework by Professor Murray for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"And I still have to train for Quidditch next week." Phoebe moaned. I looked at them sympathetically. The twins had it worse than Abi and I, both were chasers on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and both were incredibly naughty in class, and one of the two was almost always in detention. Just as this thought passed through my brain Aline whined my thoughts.

"And I have detention tonight!"

"Same" Phoebe echoed, "Last detention of the week with Professor Gallo" she pretended to whoop with joy.

"What about you Alice?" Aline asked, stretching out on a sofa by the fire. "Willing to finish my essay?" I scrutinized her for a minute, giving her an expression that said _absolutely not. _Aline gave me a puppy dog look and I gave in.

"Fine" I said exasperatedly, "but you can copy mine, I've got enough work to do as it is"

"Thanks Alice! You're the best" Aline said, jumping up and hugging me.

"I wish you'd stop calling me that" I grumbled, hugging her back.

"What's wrong with us calling you Alice, Alice?" Phoebe questioned "The Rabbit doesn't mind being called the Rabbit" she said, gesturing to Abi who looked up and rolled her eyes at the mention of the twin's ridiculous name for her.

"One," I started, and then stopped, there was no point, they weren't going to stop using their special nicknames for us in a hurry, just when they'd just found two people willing to join in their Alice in Wonderland game.

I yawned widely. With the amount of work we were being given at the moment, It was a wonder that I hadn't passed out from exhaustion. I was only getting an hour or two of sleep each night. Curse the stupid teachers. I'd only seen Neville in class since our meeting in the Hogs head, I missed him terribly and to top it off, he was becoming a little more distant from me in class, he made less excuses to help me and didn't walk by mine and Abi's work station as often as he used to. I knew that something wasn't right, There was definitely something bugging him, and I was going to find out what it was if it was the last thing I did.

* * *

I put my plan into action the following Thursday in Herbology.

"You go on, I need to ask Professor Longbottom something?" I said to the tweedles and Abi as I packed my books back into my bag. Aline giggled and whispered something into Phoebe's ear, who whispered into Abi's ear, simultaneously, they all started making kissing sounds at me. I rolled my eyes, It was only a matter of time before I'd had to tell Aline and Phoebe too. "Get out of here" I snapped, throwing a pen at them and they ducked out of the greenhouses giggling. I finished packing my bags and walked up to stand beside the door to the prep room, where Neville was putting something together for his next class. I cleared my throat and he looked up.

"Luna" he said "What are you doing here? You'll be late for your next class"

"I just wanted to ask If you were okay" I said, with a worried expression on my face. "You're a little distant with me" He walked over to me and wrapped me in a hug.

"I'm sorry" he apologised quietly "I'm really stressed out, Professor Sprout is dumping so many more of her duties on me, It's hard to keep up with"

"I know how you feel" I said, thinking of the pile of work sitting in my dorm. And I'd failed to do my transfiguration homework for Professor Abbot again. Well, that meant another detention. I didn't know what made me do it, but I had to.

"Saturday night, room of requirement, 8 o'clock" I said, brushing my lips softly against his.

"Alright" he smiled, just as the bell rang, signalling the start of the next lesson.

"Crap, gotta go" I said, breaking away from Neville and tearing out the door. I through the grounds and up into the castle, naturally it was deserted, everyone having gone into their lessons. I sprinted up the marble staircase and along the second floor, bursting dramatically through the door to transfiguration.

"Late Lovegood?" Professor Abbot said with a smirk "That'll mean detention, tonight, my office 7 o'clock"

"Yes Professor" I spat, taking my seat between Aline and Abi. Professor Abbot turned and began to write on the board again as Aline slipped me a note from Phoebe.

_You should be the rabbit. - P_

I rolled my eyes and scribbled underneath

_Make up your mind_. – L.

I passed it to Aline, who passed it back to Phoebe, I saw her read it and smile like the Cheshire cat, which was apparently a talking cat that sounded quite like the description of a blibbering humdinger. The muggle author must've seen one unawares and named it the Cheshire cat for his story.

I tried, in vain, to listen what Professor Abbot was saying but found that it was just going through one ear and out the other. Damn those wrackspurts. My mind kept drifting back to Herbology, and how Neville had gathered me in his arms and hugged me so warmly.

"Lovegood" Professor Abbot barked "Name the incantation for turning an animal into a water goblet?"

"What? Oh right" I said, jerking back to the present and racking my brains, this was second year stuff. "Um is it _Vera Verto?" _I asked with uncertainty and le look on her face told me I was correct.

"Can you at least look like you're paying attention?" she snapped and returned to writing on the board.

See, I told you the woman had a grudge against me.


	19. All Too Soon

Chapter 19  
All too Soon

"This is not fair" Abi exclaimed, banging her head on the wooden table. "How do they expect us to sleep and keep up with all this work?"

It was true, all of us, Abi, Aline, Phoebe, Hermione, Ginny and I all had deep purple bags underneath our eyes from lack of sleep.

"One more potions essay and my head is going to implode" Ginny said finishing off the third potions essay of the day with a flourish. I had to admit, it wasn't the best way to spend a weekend, cooped up in the library studying and completing homework with numerous other seventh, sixth and fifth years while the younger years frolicked around without a care in the world. The younger Ravenclaws were now mortally terrified of Abi, and were extra quiet when she was around. It was quite good when you needed quiet and Abigail Rowe was your best friend.

I checked my watch for the billionth time that day. It was only 4pm, four hours until I would see Neville in the Room of Requirement. It had been distracting me all day and as a result, I'd only completed one essay, for Herbology. Which had become my favourite subject in the past few weeks, hardly surprising, seeing as my boyfriend teaches the class.

"Quit it Luna" Grinned Phoebe from my left "you're gonna get whiplash from looking at that watch too quickly" I snorted in reply and proceeded to stare dreamily around the room, looking for signs of Wrackspurts and Nargles. Not the most ideal way to spend a study session. I attempted to turn back to my essay but no sooner had I written two words, I was back in "La La Luna Land" as officially named by Abi. I missed Neville so much, it was like a constant stomach ache. I missed his black hair, his blue eyes, his handsome round face and most of all, the way his lips felt on mine. I know, it makes me sound like a whore saying that, but it was true. I missed kissing him... and that also makes me sound like a whore. I'm just going to shut up now.

"I can't concentrate" I declared, closing my books and folding up the essay that I was writing. "I'll catch up with you guys later" I said to Aline, Phoebe and Abi.

"Luna, before you go" Said Aline from behind me "just make sure you're back by 10 tonight, we're having a disco in the Room of Requirement at 12 and we want to dress you up properly"

"No more yellow" Agreed Phoebe, nodding. I sighed. I knew my friends wouldn't take no for an answer so I just nodded and proceeded out of the library, The only thing that I didn't like about this disco, was not that they completely stole the idea off me of meeting in the room of requirement, but was the fact that I would have to leave Neville early. I checked my watch again. 4:30pm. Damnit! Why did time go so slowly! It felt like today was dragging on forever, which is always the case when you're looking forward to something. I took my time walking back to Ravenclaw tower, purely to stall for time so that my meeting with Neville would come quicker.

It still only took me half an hour. Now I still had three hours to brood over what I was going to ask Neville, or the more productive alternative would be to finish my transfiguration essay for Professor Abbott, so that I wouldn't get detention from her again. Transfiguration was quickly becoming my least favourite subject just as quickly as Herbology was becoming my favourite. Funny what teachers can do to your subjects. I used to be reasonable at Transfiguration, now I was dead awful. I knew I would fail my transfiguration NEWT because of her. I wasn't learning anything and the amount of detentions she set me for not doing this, or being late for that, or for no reason at all was not helping my situation.

I abruptly jerked out of my "I hate Professor Abbott" thoughts and grudgingly started her essay on turning furniture into animals. Now that we had completed the practical side of our classes, now came the theory. I wrote the title then underlined it. Then I underlined it again. I wrote my name at the top of the parchment. Then proceeded to chew on my quill, looking anywhere but my essay.

I sighed. What good was procrastinating going to do? I opened my transfiguration textbook and began reading through the tiny text, writing down occasional things that might be useful.

Two pages in and I realised that I wasn't processing any of it. I would read the words, but they'd go straight through my head. Damnit Wrackspurts, leave me alone, let me study in peace!

* * *

A miserable hour later I finished off the final sentence with a flourish. I sat back in my seat, feeling immensely proud of myself for having forced myself to complete an essay I full stop did _not _want to do. I checked my watch again and was surprised to see that there was only two hours until I would see Neville.

After having done such a horrible essay (which taught me more about transfiguring Animals in an hour than Professor Abbott had taught me in a term) I decided to reward myself. No, I'm not going to indulge myself in chocolate éclairs from the kitchens... though I would very much like to. I rummaged in my bag and pulled out the Muggle Novel "Alice in Wonderland"

I figured now that Aline and Phoebe had dragged us into this game, I may as well see what this is all about. Muggle authors were different to wizarding authors; they were more formal and used strange language to describe things. _Alice in Wonderland _especially, was old English.

Once I got my brain around the fact that there was no magic in the book, I actually began to enjoy it. Though magical books still have my heart, I found that muggle books weren't so bad.

Before I knew it, Abi, Aline and Phoebe entered the common room.

"Hey Luna" said Abi, sitting down beside me. I folded the page of _Alice in Wonderland _and placed it on the table beside me.

"Hi Luna, how's it goi-"Aline broke off at the sight of the book on the arm of the chair. "You're reading it!" she squealed, practically throwing herself at me, Phoebe in tow. I saw Abi roll her eyes out of the corner of mine.

"We actually love you" they grinned, their identical, devilish twin smiles spreading across both their faces. I shrugged as if to say _it's no big deal. _My eyes fell on my watch. It was ten to eight.

"Crap!" I exclaimed "I'm late" I sprinted up into the dormitory as Abi, Aline and Phoebe laughed their asses off at the reference I'd just made. How could I have let time get away with me like that?

I brushed my dirty blonde hair into a neat plait and threw on something that looked semi-presentable. I glanced at myself in the mirror once and sprinted out of the dormitory.

"Bye" I called to the tweedles and Abi over my shoulder "see you at the party"

I heard their goodbyes shouted after me as the door to the Ravenclaw common room shut behind me

* * *

The corridors were deserted, well, what could you expect, It was Saturday night. Everyone was either in their houses playing exploding snap, or chess, or getting piss drunk in empty classrooms with silencing charms placed over them. Of course, the twins had the right idea, hosting a party in the room of requirement would not attract any attention as it completely soundproof and no one can get in if you ask the room not to let them. Fool proof.

I practically ran to the room of requirement and walked back and forth three times thinking. _I need a place to meet Neville, I need a place to meet Neville, I need a place to meet Neville. _I opened my eyes after the third walk past and saw the familiar oak doorway that appeared every time I met Neville here.

I threw it open and burst in.

"Neville, I'm so sorry I lost track of ti-" I broke off, there was no one in the room. Neville wasn't here yet. I breathed a sigh of relief, now I wouldn't have to explain about reading muggle novels. I sat down on the couch in front of the fire, where we'd sat on our first meeting when we were back at Hogwarts. I stared into the fire, waiting.

Half an hour passed and he still hadn't come. He was probably just grading papers or something, Teachers often had to work overtime.

An hour, maybe Professor Sprout had given him her papers to grade too

An hour and a half; something was up, maybe he fell asleep

After two hours I began to get worried, It was almost ten and that's when I promised to meet Abi, Aline and Phoebe back at the dorm. I knew deep down that he wasn't going to come, that I had wasted my time waiting her for him. Tears sprung to my eyes, how could he forget? This was supposed to be our special time, the time when it was just us, without any interruptions.

I pulled myself together and began to walk back to Ravenclaw tower. I felt cheated, sad, angry and frustrated all in one. It was the most confusing feeling. I would talk to him about it tomorrow, I'm sure he has a valid reason for not showing, though I felt as though I'd wasted my time, lost two hours worth of precious homework/study time.

I answered the riddle that the doorknocker gave and walked gloomily into the common room where Abi was sitting by the fire, her face looking stony and grave as she stared into the flames.

"Hi Abi" I said miserably, sitting down in beside her. She jumped.

"Oh, hey Luna, how'd it go?" she asked, her voice was missing it's spark and she sounded deflated.

"He didn't show" I said, fighting back tears.

"Oh Luna" said Abi, standing up to hug me "I'm sorry, maybe he was just busy" she said, echoing my thoughts exactly.

"Yeah, maybe, what's up with you" I asked and her friendly smile dropped straight off her face.

"It's the twins" My heart immediately filled with panic, what had happened to them?

"Their brother was found dead a few hours ago. They left immediately" Abi said dully. Before I even had time to process this statement, Abi was crying in my arms.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, confused. I felt horrible for the twins, but it wasn't that sad that I was going to cry about it, I didn't even know the twins had a brother. "It's not like you knew them or anything" Abi continued to cry. I had no idea what to say, so I just sat there, stroking her brown hair while she cried on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Luna" she hiccoughed "It's just, this situation reminds me of my brother and sister" she reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled photo. It was of a much younger Abi standing in front of the statue of Liberty with two younger children, no doubtedly her brother and sister.

"That's Ellen" she pointed at the girl, "and that's Orion" she pointed at the boy. "They died over the summer" she let out another sob as she caressed the picture.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked as she started to cry again. She shook her head "not- not yet Luna, I'm not ready"

I nodded understandingly. "I guess we're not going to the disco then?" I said in a half-hearted attempt to make conversation. Abi didn't reply. We sat there in silence for about half an hour, before Abi dried her eyes and stood up.

"I'm going to bed" she said quietly and I nodded, standing up too. We walked up into our dorm in silence. I got into bed and listened to the breathing of the other girl in our dorm, the rest were at the party, my watch lit up when It reached 2am. I was going to be wrecked tomorrow. But the quiet sobs from the bed next to mine told me that I was not the only one lying awake.

* * *

**AN: OH MY GOD. I .. SORRY ! It's been what? A month? I feel so mean! I have had such bad writers block on this chapter. I re-wrote it like five times. I uploaded it once, then took it down cos I hated it and you would've hated it too. Now I'm finally happy with the result! And I hope you are too!**

**Now, just a quick announcement before I go. To make up for my ridiculous amounts of time between updates, I am going to be doing a Christmas and New Years Marathon. Which basically means you get a chapter on the 24****th****, 25****th**** and 26****th**** and then a chapter on the 30****th**** 31****st**** and 1****st**** but don't worry, there will be more chapters before the Christmas marathon and A LOT MORE after the New Years Marathon. If I'm still writing this story at Easter, you'll get an Easter marathon too. **

**Questions for you to answer**

**-Why do you think Neville didn't show?  
-What do you think happened to the twins' brother?  
-If I wrote a companion story about Abi would you read it?**

_**Reviews make Luna find out why Neville didn't show and more about Abi's past!**_

**~The Original Horcrux~**


	20. Confrontation

Chapter 20  
Confrontation

I felt like shit. And I didn't even go to the party last night. The groans of the girls who did filled the dorm and made me want to puke. They all reeked of firewhisky and nearly all of them had hangovers. Last night's events came rushing back to me, Neville not showing up for our date, the twins' brother dying and Abi's breakdown. I bit down hard on my lip to stop myself from crying, and tasted blood.

"What happened last night?" I heard an incredibly hung-over Padma Patil say. She, like Hermione had returned to Hogwarts to re-take her NEWTS.

"My head" groaned Eliza Ingleside groaned from my right and I was suddenly glad that I didn't attend the party last night. I pulled back the curtains and swung my legs over the side of the bed just as Eliza vomited onto the ground. I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the smell and the fact that it was about an inch in front of my bare feet which were back on the bed in a matter of seconds.

"Sorry Luna" Eliza apologised, as she ran to the bathroom to throw up again. I looked over at Abi. She was lying on her back, her eyes open and staring blankly at the ceiling. If it wasn't for the fact that I could see her chest rising up and down, I would've thought she was dead. Padma had also run into the bathroom to take a shower. The other two girls in our dorm, Bridget and Xanthea were out cold; both had really bad panda eyes from where their makeup had smudged when they slept.

"Abi" I whispered. She acknowledged me with a soft noise which sounded like a small cough. "Are you alright?" she was silent for a few minutes before nodding.

"Yeah" she said softly "Yeah, I'm fine. Did you want anything?"

"I need to ask you something" I said and she sat up

"So do I actually" she replied.

"You first" I said, walking over to her bed and sitting down beside her.

"No, you go" she sniffed. I noticed that her eyes were red rimmed and puffy.

"What do you think I should do about Neville?" I asked, dropping my voice so as not to disturb the hung-over girls. "Should Ignore it, should I talk to him, what?"

"I think you should talk to him" Abi said immediately, perking up. Solving boy troubles was what she did best. "Confront him about it, but don't do it in a nasty way, guys don't like that"

"You know" I said "for going to an all girls school, you give pretty good boy advice" Abi grinned.

"I try" she said, brushing it off as humbly as she could, which wasn't very humbly at all. "You should go now, he'll be In the staff room or his office"

I stood up and smiled at my best friend "Thank you so much Abigail" I said, pulling her into a hug. She rolled her eyes.

"My name isn't Abigail" she moaned "It's Abi, how many times" I laughed

"Thank you Abi" I started to walk towards the door.

"Do you want me to come?" She asked "you know, moral support?" I contemplated this for a second before shaking my head.

"No," I said sadly "this is something I have to do by myself" Abi shrugged her shoulders in a way that said _Fair enough. _I turned and walked out of the dorm.

* * *

It was almost eleven o'clock on Sunday morning, and it was very unusual that no one was out and about, normally there were a few people running around here and there but today the corridors were deserted. I suspected that most of the school had attended the disco last night and were all hung-over or completely wrecked from staying up till the early hours. I knew because I had heard Eliza, Padma, Bridget and Xanthea stumble in, piss drunk, at 5am.

I decided to go to his office first, if he was marking homework, that's where he would be. I started to dwell on last night's events as I walked towards Neville's office on the fourth floor. I wondered if the Twins were okay, how they were coping with their brother's death, I knew what it was like to lose someone so close to me, there were times when I lay awake at night wishing that Mum was around to see me off to Hogwarts, wishing she was there to comfort me when I had a hard time. I missed her so much. But that was the past now, dwelling on the past does nothing, the future is what matters.

I had reached Neville's office by this time and still had no idea what to say. I would just come straight out with it, tell him how I felt. Just like Abi had told me to. I took a deep breath and knocked. Nothing, I knocked again. Nothing. He wasn't in there. With a sigh I headed back along the corridor and down the stairs to the staffroom on the second floor. This was going to be even more awkward with all the teachers listening in. All I had to do was ask for Professor Longbottom and we could go somewhere and talk. I raised my fist and knocked on the staffroom door. Professor Gallo opened it. Great, awkwardness ensued, not fun.

"What is it Lovegood" she snapped, she hated me just as much as Professor Abbott, maybe they were related.

"C-can I please speak to Professor Longbottom" I stammered, catching myself just as I was about to say Neville. Gallo looked over her shoulder and yelled into the room

"There's a student here to see you Neville" she said and a feeling of annoyance rose inside me. Why should she be allowed to call him Neville while I resorted to calling him Professor Longbottom. But that annoyance was washed away at the sight of him. He was so breathtakingly handsome that It washed away all anger I had against him. But then I remembered how he didn't show up last night.

"Luna" he said, stepping outside "what is it"

"We need to talk" I said, as calmly as I could and walked off down the corridor towards an empty classroom. I heard him following behind me. Once we were both inside, I waved my wand and the door locked

"_Muffliato" _I said, just to make sure of our privacy.

"What's this about Luna" he said softly, sitting down on a table and surveying me with his blue eyes.

"Where were you last night?" I asked, fighting hard to keep tears from forming.

"What?" He asked, confused

"Last night" I repeated "You were supposed to meet me in the room of requirement. Why weren't you there?"

Neville slapped a hand to his forehead, looking guilty and apologetic.

"Oh Luna, I'm so sorry! I completely forgot, I had so many papers to mark and I'm really stressed out. I'm sorry" For a minute I considered forgiving him, but there was something in his eyes that told me he was lying.

"What else" I said, my voice quavering "what else were you doing last night that you're not telling me"

"Nothing, I was just so busy, I have to give back papers tomorrow and –" I cut him off.

"I have mountains of homework to do, and I still showed up last night." I yelled, my voice going cold

"I –"he tried to say but I cut across him

"Don't pull the "I forgot" excuse with me. I wasted two hours waiting for you and now I'm incredibly behind on all my work. I don't even know why I bothered!" With that, I turned on my heel and stormed out, pausing only to unlock the door. I ran up the corridor, up the stairs and down another corridor, tears running quickly down my cheeks. What had I just done? This was not like me, I was Luna Freaking Lovegood, I didn't go yelling at people. I was the problem solver, the go to for everyone's troubles, because I always spoke the words that no one had ever considered looking at. Jumping to conclusions was everyone's worst fault and as I ran along that deserted corridor I realised that I was just like everyone else.

Thoughts flashed through my head about what he might've been doing last night that he wasn't telling me. Was he in Hogsmeade? Was he at the disco? That wasn't even possible; the disco was after we'd scheduled our date. The next thought that came into my mind I didn't even want to contemplate. I couldn't even believe I had thought of it, it was gross, completely wrong so many ways, what if he was with another woman? I pushed that thought straight out of my mind. He wouldn't, Neville wouldn't do that, he wasn't the type. I broke into a sprint and arrived in minutes back at Ravenclaw tower breathing heavily I answered the doorknockers question and tore inside and up the stairs, ignoring the looks of surprise from the children in the common room, most of who had hangovers. I was right when I said that most of the school had attended the disco last night. What I wanted to know was how the hell they'd got their hands on enough firewhisky, surely there wasn't that much stored in the three broomsticks.

I pushed open the door to my dorm and threw myself on the bed, ignoring Abi's shout of surprise, the thump of Xanthea falling out of bed and the sounds of what was obviously Bridget throwing up in the bathroom as Padma and Eliza were nowhere to be seen.

"What happened Luna?" Abi said, placing a hand on my back as I sobbed into my pillow. I tried to make the words come out but they wouldn't form, so I just cried. Abi sat there for what seemed like hours, comforting me, like I had done to her last night.

Eventually, my sobs had subdued enough for me to sit up.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Abi asked with a small smile playing around her lips as I launched into what happened. Abi was a great audience; she gasped in all the right places and never interrupted me once.

"But I sort of lost it towards the end" I mumbled. Abi nodded as if to say _go on_ "I sort of yelled at him, but Abi, there's something he isn't telling me about last night. I could see it in his eyes"

"Don't you think you could be jumping to conclusions?" Abi asked and I shook my head.

"I know this is really cliché, but I just know there's something more. Neville doesn't have the best memory but he wouldn't forget this, I know he wouldn't"

"Well, I have some good news and some bad news" Abi said standing up from where she had been sitting on the floor.

"Yeah"

"The Twins are coming back to school after their brother's funeral on Wednesday and they've invited us, that's the good news. The bad news is, I'm not sure McGonagall will let us go" I looked at the ground for a minute before asking

"What happened to him?"

"They didn't say" Abi said sadly. "Here" she landed me a letter

_Dear Luna and Abi_

_We're coming back to school on Wednesday, after Luke's funeral. Mum said we could invite you though we're not sure that McGonagall will let you come yet. Don't miss us too much, see you on Wednesday_

_Love  
Aline and Phoebe _

"They must be hurting so bad" I said "We both know what It's like huh" Abi nodded as her eyes filled with tears. "You ready to talk about it yet?" I asked and Abi nodded again

"I think so. Mum told me to open up about it, but I've never met anyone that understood about how I was feeling." Abi replied

"So, what happened?" I paused again "How did they die?"

I could see Abi fighting to keep her composure while she spoke of her siblings.

"It was over the summer, just after Salem was burnt down. Mum and Dad had flown over to Michigan from California to see what they could do for the school, I was taking care of Ellen and Orion" a single tear ran down her face "I was out in the back yard up a tree, I used to write and that was the only place I could write properly. I was writing when they attacked the house. I didn't even hear them scream" she began to sob.

"It was the same group that burnt down Salem" she paused and wiped her eyes "the death eater revolt"

"What?" I gasped "A death eater revolt? How is that even possible?"

"I don't know" Abi sniffed "but anyway, When it started to get dark I went back into the house and she was..." Abi gave a small gasp and broke into a fresh wave of sobs. I hugged her close as she fought to regain her composure. "Ellen was hanging from the rafters"

I gasped, the death eaters hadn't used magic, they had used muggle methods to kill Ellen.

"I called for Orion, but he didn't answer" Abi was full on sobbing now, the shoulder of my t-shirt was wet with her tears. "Then I walked into the kitchen and there was blood everywhere" she continued to sob and her words became incoherent "Orion's body was lying on the counter, his wrists and throat slit and his eyes" she hid her face in her hands "his eyes were gouged out...they cut out his eyes."

Her sobs racked her body as she cried. I had no idea what to say. If I felt guilty for my mother's death, it was nothing compared to what Abi felt over her siblings' death.

"It wasn't your fault Abi" I said softly as she struggled to pull herself together.

"It is though" she said "I could've stopped it, If I was only in the house. They were helpless, they couldn't use magic and I could"

"But they could've used magic. Underage wizards can use magic in life threatening situations" I said. Abi shook her head sadly

"That's not all... the Pieces of Orion and Ellen's wands were placed beside Orion. They couldn't have used magic even if they wanted to. The death eaters snapped their wands."

"But how do you know they were death eaters, If they used muggle methods, they could've been muggle murderers"

"They were death eaters" she said "I haven't told you everything"

"Go on"

"There was a note as well, under the pieces of their wands."

"What did it say?"

"You're Next" Abi bit her lip as more tears found their way out of her eyes. "As soon as I touched it I was transported to the cellar of a mansion. It was a portkey."

"How did you escape?" I asked. This story was getting intense. The way Abi told it painted a picture in your head and made you feel like you were experiencing what she experienced.

"A house elf, the man accidently freed him when they" she broke into sobs once more."Luna, they did stuff to me in there that I don't even want to remember, let alone say it out loud." She rubbed her left forearm nervously. I gasped and seized her arm. I pulled back the sleeve to see something that I didn't expect. Scarred into her arm were the words _you're next. _A chill ran down my spine as I imagined Abi's pain when that was carved into her arm. The worst part is, it came to my mind freely, I was recalling the time that Hermione was tortured by Bellatrix, except Abi was in Hermione's position.

"That's not the worst of it" she said, wrenching her arm out of my grip and pulling her sleeve down over it. "Luna," she said, her face contorted in an expression of pain as she remembered the events of that night. "They took it Luna. _He _took it"

"Took what?" I urged. The next words were barely audible.

"My virginity" Abi gasped, gripping my arm a little tighter than necessary. A feeling of anger rushed through me. How could someone do that?

"Who took it?" I asked urgently as Abi shook her head "Who did it Abigail?" It was a mark of how traumatised Abi was by this experience that she didn't flinch at the use of her full name.

"Draco Malfoy" she whispered.

It was like I had gone into shock. Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. The same Slimy, blonde haired git, had done this to Abi. I didn't move. If he was part of the revolt, then Goyle and Zabini had almost certainly joined up. No one was safe anymore.

"He raped me, he cut me and then they left me to die, down there in the cellar of the house. I would've died if the house elf hadn't saved me. Draco accidently set him free when he raped me. He threw my bra across the room and the elf caught it. The plan was for my parents to find another note hidden in their bedroom, they would be transported to the mansion and see me...dead with the words, you're next carved into my arm. I'm forever grateful to that elf he apparated me back to my house." Abi said, she seemed numb.

I didn't care how Abi had escaped; there was only one thought that was running through my mind.

"Abi, how long ago was this?" I asked cautiously.

"two weeks before I came to Hogwarts" she said blankly and my mind began whirring. It was half way through October. My eyes immediately darted down to look at her stomach, It was flat. Could she be pregnant?

"Abi, have you felt sick at all in the past month? Have you been more hungry?" I asked, gripping her arms, It was crucial that I know this.

"I'm not pregnant if that's what you're getting at Luna, I have my period right now" Abi said. Great, could this get any more awkward?

"Good" I said, looking anywhere but her eyes. I guess I was getting my comeuppance for saying awkward truths for the last six years. There was an awkward silence that lasted for about three minutes.

"So" Abi said, breaking it, but if anything it made the situation even more awkward "Do you want to... um... go do some homework?"

"Sure" I said, all too glad to get out of this room. I gathered my books together and was just about to walk out of the door when Eliza walked in.

"Oh there you are. Luna, Abi, McGonagall wants to see you in her office now" She said, before turning around and walking out.

This could not be good.

* * *

**AN: Dunn dunn dunnnnnnnnnn. Soooo what'd you think? Poor Abi, I can't believe I'm doing this to her... but it was always the plan from the beginning of the story to have her go through some horrific experiences and admit them to Luna. That was a bit of an angsty chapter. I hate it, but there's more to come, the next chapter is PACKED. Also, Seeing as I have pretty much almost finished writing this story, (i just haven't uploaded the chapters) I would like to know which story you'd like to see completed next, soooo after you review could you please head on over to my profile to vote on the poll? Thanks**

**Here are some questions for you to answer in your reviews. **

**-What do you think the thing Neville isn't telling Luna is?  
-What do you think McGonagall wants to ask Abi and Luna?  
-Did you think the chapter was a bit too long? (it's the longest yet... over 3000 words)**

_**Reviews make Luna find out the real reason that Neville didn't show**_

**~The Original Horcrux~**


	21. Everything Falls Apart

Chapter 21  
Everything Falls Apart

Abi and I looked at each other. Could this be good or bad? Did McGonagall see my abysmal Transfiguration results and was about to punish me mercilessly? Or was It Abi that was in trouble, for potions maybe?

"Shit" Abi breathed when I looked away. "What did we do?"

"I don't know" I whispered back. "There's only one way to find out." We made a wordless agreement and both started towards the door.

I hoped that the corridors were still deserted like they were when I went to see Neville this morning, but of course they weren't. It was late in the afternoon and most students seemed to have either slept off their hangovers or decided to start on their homework and were grudgingly making their way towards the library.

"You know I'm glad we didn't go to the party last night" Abi said, watching a group of boys stagger towards the library. "Otherwise we would've had to go see McGonagall all hung-over" I laughed softly. I realised that neither of us looked even close to reasonable. Our eyes were red rimmed and puffy from crying and we looked like we'd just woken up, we could've had a hangover for all McGonagall knew.

"What's the password?" Abi asked as we reached the gargoyle in front of McGonagall's office and I suddenly realised that Eliza must've forgotten to give us the password.

"Transfiguration?" I guessed but the gargoyle didn't move. "Hogsmeade?" I guessed again but it stayed stock still.

"Hogwarts?" Abi guessed but to no avail.

"Fizzing Whisbee? Gryffindor? Quibbler?" I said at random and to my surprise, when I yelled Quibbler, the gargoyle sprang to life and leapt aside. "Quibbler, really, I was only joking"

We stepped past the Gargoyle and up the winding staircase that lead to McGonagall's office. I raised my fist and knocked twice.

"Come in" said a voice from within and the door swung open to reveal Professor McGonagall sitting at her desk with a grave look on her face.

"Ah, Abigail, Luna, take a seat" she gestured to the chairs stationed in front of her desk. Abi and I walked nervously across the room and sat on the edge of the chairs. The look on McGonagall's said it all. Either someone had died or we were in big trouble.

"As you probably know, Aline and Phoebe Oakley's brother has died." She began to say and I heard Abi's sharp intake of breath from my left. "And they have invited you to the funeral" she continued, pausing only to glance at Abi as she bit her lip. So we weren't in trouble. She just wanted to talk to us about going to Luke's funeral.

"So, can we go then?" I asked softly. McGonagall didn't speak, she seemed to be processing my request.

"You may go" she said and a grin spread across my face. I turned to Abi to see her Cheshire cat grin looking back at me. "But...there will have to be some conditions"

"Anything Professor" Abi said and I nodded earnestly.

"Luna" she said, turning to me and I jumped at being addressed so harshly. "Professor Abbott has reported back to me that you are doing abysmally in Transfiguration"

I groaned internally. So I was in a little strife about my grades.

"The condition for you going to the funeral is for your Transfiguration grades to come up from A to E alright?"

I nodded quickly as she rounded on Abi.

"Same with you Abigail, make sure your potions grade comes up from P to A" Abi nodded too, but I could see in her eyes that she was swearing with all manner of swear words. She _hated _potions.

"Alright, I shall confer with your teachers about your being off campus on Wednesday" Professor McGonagall said finally. "Off you go"

We stood up and walked out of the office with big grins on our faces. We waited until we were half way down the corridor until I pulled a spare bit of parchment and a quill out of my bag and scribbled a letter to the twins.

_Dear Aline and Phoebe_

_McGonagall says we can come! We're really sorry about your brother. We'll see you on Wednesday! _

_Love Luna and Abi_

* * *

By Tuesday I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to see Neville, to apologise for what I'd done on Sunday, for what I'd said.

"Hey, where are you going?" Abi asked as she packed some clothes into an overnight bag, we were to Apparate from Hogsmeade later that night to Aline and Phoebe's house on the coast. I was rather excited as I had never been swimming at the beach before and Aline and Phoebe owned a beach house.

"To make things right" I said, before stepping out of the door.

"Wait" Abi said, and I turned to see her pulling on her scarf. Winter had decided to come early this year and the corridors of Hogwarts were quite chilly, especially later in the day. "You don't think I'd let you go alone this time? You might bight his head off this time."

I laughed as Abi linked her arm through mine. I was so grateful for such a great friend. We passed few people in the corridors. Most students had decided to turn in early because of the bitter cold, and because of the amount of work that still had to be done (in the older students' cases) It was an eerie feeling as we rounded the corners of the castle. It was just like it had been in the aftermath of the battle, the day I'd first met Neville. Tears sprang to my eyes as I remembered that day back in May. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Neville had shouted "_Luna, Hey, Luna, I Love you!" _Over the shouts of people and bangs of spells. I wasn't sure If I had heard him right until he came and found me, staring at the remains of the Ravenclaw common room and we both declared our love for one another.

As we neared Neville's office, I was even more glad to have Abi alongside me in this. What if she was right? What if I did go off my rocker at him again. Our relationship was already on the rocks. I didn't even want to think about losing him. He was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Well, apart from finding my new friends in fourth year.

Panic started to consume me as we started down the corridor towards his office. What was wrong with me? I never panicked, I was always the calm, rational one who calmed others down. What had love done to me?

My panic must've shown on my face as Abi gripped my arm a bit tighter and said. "You'll be fine, just tell him you're sorry for what you said"

I smiled tentatively at her as we reached the door. I took a deep breath, and knocked. There was no answer. I knocked again. No answer. I was just starting to get a strong sense of déjà vu when I heard some scuffling from inside the office.

"Shh" Abi said "do you hear that?"

I nodded slowly, pressed a finger to my lips and pushed the door open quietly, surprised that it wasn't locked. What I saw made me want to curl up in my Nargles infested sock draw and sleep for the rest of my life. My jaw hit the ground as I saw Neville, the same Neville that had claimed he loved me so many times, kissing, no Snogging, Professor Abbott. They hadn't even noticed us yet. I felt my face grow hot as I saw his hand slip up her top.

"Oh my dead muggle god" Abi said from beside me and Neville and Professor Abbott jumped apart "My eyes are scarred forever" she ran over to Neville's water jug on his desk and attempted to wash out her eyes. I would've laughed if it hadn't been for the fact that _my boyfriend _was with another woman.

"L-Luna" he said, straightening his robes and starting towards me with a concerned look on his face.

"Why" Was the only word I could manage as Professor Abbott, no Professor Whore as she would now be known, smirked at me nastily, "Why would you do this to me?" Hot tears sprang to my eyes as he struggled for words.

"It wasn't what It looked like" he stammered, wringing his hands together guiltily.

"It wasn't what it looked like?" I said coldly, keeping my voice level, though I could hear myself choking up. "I don't believe you. I came to apologise to you tonight, and I find you hooking up with that whore!"

I yelled the last word and bolted from the office, blood pounding in my ears as I ran. I only faintly heard Abi's cries for me to stop and her footsteps pounding on the marble floor as she sprinted after me. Tears blurred my vision as déjà vu overtook me for the second time that night. About five different emotions were flying around in my head at once, making me feel dizzy and confused. Anger, Hurt, Betrayal, Hate, Sadness, it all became too much and I collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

It seemed an age later (though it was only about a minute) that Abi found me, a complete train wreck on the ground on the fifth floor corridor, crying my eyes out.

"Luna" she said, placing a hand softly on my shoulder "A wise friend once said to me when I was in this exact situation _I'm not going to say it'll be alright, I'm not going to tell you that it was just a fling, I'm not going to even voice anything, because all it'll do is make you feel worse._ So I'm not going to say anything, I'm just going to be here for you if you need to talk, alright"

I nodded as she sat down beside me and put both her arms around me in a tight embrace. I wanted to kiss the friend that had said those words to Abi, because it was true. I didn't need anyone to talk to, It was company, the knowledge that someone was there to talk to, not the knowledge that someone wanted you to talk about it. Abi's friend was right, all it did was make you feel worse.

We sat there until the sun went down and the torches were lit in their brackets. My sobs had subsided long ago and we had been sitting there, just sitting, for about an hour and a half.

"Hey, we'd better go" Abi whispered "We have to meet McGonagall at the front doors at eight so she can escort us into Hogsmeade." I nodded and allowed Abi to pull me to my feet. What were the twins going to say when I told them?

"Thank you Abi" I said, speaking for the first time in hours.

"For what?" Abi asked, genuinely confused as to what I was thanking her for.

"For being there, for being my shoulder to cry on, for not making up false things to try and make me feel better" I shrugged. I couldn't be more grateful for everything she had done for me. Sure, Ginny was all those things to me too, but she had other friends too. Abi only had me and the twins.

"Here" Abi said, blushing as she threw me my overnight bag. I caught it and we made our way down to the entrance hall to meet McGonagall.

* * *

"Luna, whatever is the matter?" Professor McGonagall asked as soon as I god close enough for her to see me clearly.

"Nothing Professor" I said, waving it away.

"Dear girl, please call me Minerva, we have been through far too much to be calling each other by our last names" she said. I smiled slightly before repeating my answer.

"It's nothing Minerva"

She didn't look convinced

"Luna, I may not be your best friend, or your head of house, but I am your headmistress and I want you to know you can trust me."

"Thank you Minerva, but really, It's nothing, just boy troubles" I would've slapped myself in the head if I hadn't been holding my rucksack. Why did I say that last bit? Professor McGon- I mean Minerva (It just doesn't feel right calling her that) drew herself up to her full height as we walked out of the doors and across the grounds.

"Boy troubles, I've had more than enough experience of boy troubles in my lifetime" Minerva said

"awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward awkward" Abi muttered from beside me. I laughed softly so as Minerva wouldn't hear.

Once we were beyond the gates, Professor McGonagall (I can't call her Minerva, it's too weird) re-capped over our rules.

"Luna, remember, I expect an E in Transfiguration on your next assessment, Abigail, an A on your next Potions one, are we clear?"

"Yes Professor" we chorused back.

"Alright then, have a good time and I shall see you, Miss Rowe, Miss Oakley and Miss Oakley tomorrow afternoon." And with that, she walked back up to the castle.

"Shall we go then?" Abi asked, placing her hand on my shoulder. I soon felt the uncomfortable feeling of being pushed through a tube too small for me to fit through. A thought struck me, the last time I had felt like this, was when I was with Neville. My feet came into contact with the ground and I vomited up everything that was in my stomach.

* * *

**AN: PLEASE DON'T KILL ME *shields face* I'M SORRY FOR BREAKING THEM UP, IT WAS IN THE PLANNING. I'M INNOCENT BLAME THE PLANNING! Hehe. Okay apologies for incoherency, as it is *squints at time* 1:02am as I write this. I promised you this chapter would be packed, but I'm quite disappointed in it. Oh and just to clear up about grades, remember in the wizarding world the grades go O,E,A,P,D,T so if any of you thought that she was asking Luna to go lower...okay I'm just gonna shut up now. **

**Remember to vote on my poll (very top of my profile) and Check out my profile for pictures of Aline, Phoebe and Abi! **

**Chapter questions**

**-Did anyone else relate to Abi's advice to Luna?  
-Who officially hates Professor Abbott Now?  
-Who's excited for the Christmas marathon, which will be the next three chapters**

_**Reviews make Abi make Professor Abbott Pay for what she did.**_

**~The Original Horcrux~ **


	22. Hurt

Chapter 22  
Hurt

"So he was _kissing _Professor Abbott?" Aline asked, shocked. We were sitting in Aline and Phoebe's room, waiting for the portkey to Hogwarts to arrive. It was only now that I'd had the time to tell them about the events of the previous day. I nodded tearfully as Abi put her arm around me.

"More like molesting her" Abi said with a shudder. "I mean he was eating her face and feeling her up at the same time"

"Bad mental image, really, really bad mental image" Phoebe said, jumping around as if she was trying to get the image that Abi had placed in her head, out. I found it hard to suppress laughter at her as I packed my toothbrush into my rucksack.

"Oh, there's the portkey" Abi pointed to an old textbook which had obviously just been sent from Hogwarts. "Mrs Oakley." She called down the stairs "Our Portkey is here"

"Your what?" Mrs Oakley asked. Being a muggle, she had no idea what Wizard terms meant, a portkey may as well have been type of wizarding tree.

"Our transport back to school Mum" Phoebe called as Mrs Oakley walked into the room, stepping strategically through the four beds that had been placed inside it. She wrinkled her nose at the mess within.

"Oh, well, bye then. Allie, BeeBee, make sure you don't get into too much trouble. Don't die playing that sport on broomsticks" Mrs Oakley said, pulling Aline and Phoebe into a hug.

"Mum" they moaned in unison at their nicknames while Abi mouthed _BeeBee_ at Phoebe as she pulled away from her mother.

"It was lovely to have you, Luna, Abigail" Mrs Oakley said, turning to Abi and I.

"Mrs Oakley, please call me Abi" Abi said, pretending to look mortally offended.

"Not until you call me Susan" Mrs Oakley replied with a small laugh.

"Thank you for having us Mrs Oakley" I said with a smile as I placed a hand on the old textbook.

"It was no trouble at all Luna, please come any time. It'll be good for the girls to have some friends over now that Luke's gone" she sniffed sadly as both the twins stiffened on either side of me.

"One second" said Aline, running out of the door and down the corridor towards Luke's old room.

"One minute to go Aline" Abi yelled after her as Mrs Oakley looked confused. Of course, I was completely aware of what Aline was doing. She was finding something to remember her brother by. I myself still kept a picture of my mum and one of her earrings in my trunk at all times, for times when I missed her the most.

"Aline" Abi yelled, one eye still on her watch "ten seconds!" Aline came tearing back into the room yelling goodbye to her mother. I saw a toy car clutched in her hand. She dove at the portkey, just getting her finger to it in time. I felt a sharp jerk behind my navel and we were pulled forward into nothingness.

"Evening girls" Professor McGonagall said, nodding curtly to us as we got up off the floor of her office. She returned to her paperwork almost instantly. "Abigail, Luna, Go straight to Ravenclaw tower, no detours. Aline, Phoebe, please sit down. I wish to speak with you."

Abi and I walked slowly out of the office. What could that be about?

"Wanna listen in?" Abi asked, jerking her head back at the office. I shook my head. Not worth the risk.

"She'll know" I whispered. "The twins will tell us later" Abi shrugged, as if to say _I guess_. I was already in enough strife about my Transfiguration grades, I didn't need any more trouble.

* * *

But the twins didn't tell us. Aline and Phoebe staggered into the common room about half an hour after Abi and I had positioned ourselves in front of the fire, Abi with A potions textbook, and myself with _Alice in Wonderland_. I was just reading through the chapter with the jabberwocky (but I insist that it's a Crumple Horned Snorkak in disguise) when I heard the door slam behind us. I turned to see Phoebe supporting Aline through the portrait hole. Aline seemed unconscious and Phoebe's face was covered in blood from a cut above her eyebrow.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Abi asked, worriedly, jumping up and relieving Aline from Phoebe, who collapsed into a chair, pressing her hand to her wound. I jumped up and unstoppered the essence of dittany that I kept on me at all times.

"This will sting a bit, okay Phoebe" I said, rubbing the dittany over her cut. It started to heal before my eyes. I siphoned off the rest of the blood and gave her a small smile.

"Shit, Luna, she's not breathing" Abi said, from where she was kneeling next to Aline. She slapped Aline's face repeatedly, trying, in vain to wake her. Phoebe paled and jumped towards her twin.

"Aline," she said faintly "Aline, breathe Aline" I pulled out my wand and said

"_Anapneo"_ and Aline immediately gasped in air. After a minute she started to breathe normally again.

"Aline, what happened?" Abi asked, only for Aline to turn on her side and vomit up blood all over the blue carpet, making it go slightly purple.

"She's bleeding internally" Abi said and Phoebe's legs collapsed underneath her. I rushed to her aid, hoisting her up onto the couch where she put her head between her knees.

"Oh god, please don't let this happen" she moaned. Abi was holding Aline's hair back as she vomited, throwing up food now, with flecks of blood in them.

"We have to get her to St Mungos" Abi said, pulling Aline's arm around her neck. We had accumulated quite a large crowd by now, who were all watching on with matching expressions of horror on their faces.

"You can't disapparate inside the grounds" I said, helping her to carry Aline through the door, Phoebe hot on our heels.

"Then the hospital wing will have to do, here I'll take her" Abi said. Her voice was riddled with panic as she took Aline in her arms and we began to run towards the hospital wing. Abi seemed to run faster than Phoebe or I, and she was carrying Aline. All the while Phoebe moaned

"Please don't let this happen, don't take her, I need her, please don't take her"

I knew she was saying some sort of prayer. Probably to the muggle god that Abi so often was called a blasphemer towards.

We burst through the doors to the hospital wing, startling Madam Pomfrey out of her wits. Abi dumped Aline on the nearest bed and yelled at her to help.

"What is the meaning of this, girls?" Madam Pomfrey asked, shocked.

"What's wrong with you woman?" Abi yelled "She's got internal bleeding, you're a fucking nurse aren't you, help her?" Madam Pomfrey immediately started bustling around the room, instructing us to pull curtains here and there. Saying that she would do as much as she could for Aline, but she would have to go to St Mungos eventually. It all passed in a haze. I did everything Madam Pomfrey told me to, while Abi helped her get some vials of potion ready. Phoebe sat at her sisters side, clutching her hand so hard that I thought she might break it, all the while muttering

"Don't die, don't die, don't die" It must've been so hard for her. She'd just lost her brother, and now her sister was in danger of death and I didn't even know what happened! Phoebe began to pace up and back, up and back. Until,

"She'll live" Madam Pomfrey said, pulling off her latex gloves and pulling the curtain from around Aline's bed Phoebe collapsed into a chair. It was then that I thought that I deserved an explanation.

"Phoebe, what happened?" I asked, placing one hand on her arm. Phoebe just shook her head, too traumatised to speak. "Phoebe please tell me" I said "We just helped save your sisters life, I think we need an explanation"

"I'll start calling you BeeBee" Abi smirked, raising one eyebrow from her seat across the room. Phoebe didn't smile. She only said two words.

"Death eaters" she whispered. I staggered back from her, shocked.

"D-death eaters?" I asked, shooting a furtive look at Abi, who had stiffened "that's not possible."

"There were three of them. Nott, Vaisey and Zabini from Slytherin" she said, her voice becoming softer and softer every second. "They burst into the office while McGonagall was talking to us about Luke and attacked Aline, I got my wand out and stunned Nott, but Vaisey swung a softball bat in my face, that's how I got this" she pointed to the healed scar above her eyebrow. "McGonagall took care of Zabini and Vaisey. They didn't even have wands, they were using muggle weapons"

I heard Abi's sharp intake of breath from my right. I made a mental note to ask her about this later.

"She didn't accompany you and Aline to the hospital wing?" Abi asked.

"No, she took them to the ministry, hopefully they'll be sent to Azkaban" Phoebe replied.

"But how do you know they were death eaters?" I asked.

"I saw their dark marks. It's kind of hard to miss in short sleeve T-shirts" Phoebe said, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. All three of us were exhausted, we'd been here most of the night. It was late, and I had Transfiguration with Professor Whore tomorrow, and I'd actually done the homework. Last piece of homework I ever do for her.

"Girls, you'd better go back to your dormitories, you have lessons tomorrow" Madam Pomfrey said, bustling over and tucking the sheets around Aline. "Don't worry, your friend will be alright, it was much less serious than I thought."

"We're not leaving" said Abi, standing up and placing her hands on her hips. "We're staying with Aline"

"No, this is ridiculous, back to Ravenclaw tower, now" she said, clapping her hands together and attempting to usher us out of the room. Phoebe got to her feet.

"Listen here, that is my twin sister lying in that bed, and If you think for one minute that I'm going back to my dorm without her then I should hex you right now" she snarled at Madam Pomfrey. It didn't sound right coming out of her lips, seeing as normally she chirruped everything cheerfully.

"Alright, You may stay, but you two" she said, pointing at Abi and I "you are to go back to Ravenclaw tower. Now" Abi plonked herself down on a waiting chair.

"Make me" she said, folding her arms cheekily. I was sure she was in for a week's detention for backchat and rudeness. I hesitantly sat down next to her. Madam Pomfrey whirled around and stomped furiously back into her office, muttering about teenage cheek and friendship ties.

Phoebe moved her chair over beside Aline's bed and took her hand. Abi folded her arms across her chest and closed her eyes. I pulled my knees up to my chest and rested my head on them, the events of the last few hours playing through my head. Why did the death eaters have grudges against my friends? First Abi's siblings now Aline, and I'm pretty sure that Luke was killed by the same death eater revolt. I couldn't believe it, a death eater revolt. Voldemort had died not even six months ago and the ex death eaters, the ones who weren't shut up in Azkaban anyway, were planning a comeback. Suddenly a thought struck me. Malfoy, Nott, Vaisey, Goyle. There was a pair of each, their fathers and them. I sat bolt upright, they were avenging their families by killing or injuring young witches and wizards.

But why Abi though? She didn't even live in England until a few months ago. It suddenly struck me how little I knew about Abi. Sure, I knew she was American and I knew one of the worst experiences of her life but I didn't know about her history or her education before Hogwarts. She never spoke of it.

Making a mental note to ask Abi about it when she was awake, I proceeded to riddle out Aline and Phoebe's part in these attacks.

Their parents are muggles. But Aline and Phoebe are magical, and they were attacked. But had Luke been magical? The questions made my head spin. I placed my head back on my knees and let sleep overtake me.

* * *

The light pried my eyes open the next morning. I moved my knees down from my chest and stretched out, rubbing my crick neck. Abi woke as my knees and elbows cracked from being so cramped, then stretched.

"Don't think you could keep that any quieter do you Luna" she yawned, stretching as well. My eyes fell on Phoebe and Aline. Aline was still evidently out cold and Phoebe was sleeping, still upright in her chair, her head lolling backwards as she clutched her twin's hand. I checked my watch it was 8:30. Abi nudged me.

"We'd better get going if we wanna eat" Abi said and I shook my head. I did not want to go anywhere near Neville or Professor Whore, except for classes, then I didn't have a choice. "Suit yourself, I'm starved" Abi said as my stomach grumbled. It seemed like forever that we'd sat around the table at Aline and Phoebe's and ate the roast beef that Mrs Oakley cooked so well.

"I think I'll send a letter to my daddy" I mumbled as we walked out of the hospital wing together, leaving Phoebe with Aline.

"I'm going to eat" Abi said, taking off in the direction of the great hall "see you in charms" she called back. I raised a hand in farewell as she disappeared around the corner. I kicked my feet along the stone floor on the way to the owlery, what would I tell daddy? I hadn't written to him all term, he must be starting to worry. I pulled a spare bit of parchment and a quill out of my pocket (yes, I do keep a lot of essentials on me) sunk down against a wall and began to write.

_Dear Daddy_

I paused, how was I going to put this into words?

_Sorry I haven't written, Life has been really busy at the moment. I'm quite stressed. Firstly, my friend's little brother was found dead a few days ago, they're quite distraught. And secondly I caught Neville cheating on me with the apprentice transfiguration teacher. I'm very upset, please help me daddy, what should I do?_

_Love Luna_

I re-read over the letter and thought that it would suffice. It was rather rushed but I was tired and honestly couldn't be bothered writing anymore. I made my way up to the Owlery, running into Ginny and Hermione on the way down.

"Luna, you look wrecked!" Ginny remarked as I walked past her.

"Thank you captain obvious" I snapped, wow I must be tired, and hungry!

"You're welcome Lieutenant sarcasm," Ginny said happily, brushing it off. "Oh and just so you know, Fleur's having a girl, Bill wrote to me last night" Oh, I'd forgotten that Fleur was pregnant.

"Tell her congratulations for me" I called after them as they walked down to breakfast.

"Will do" she called back. Rubbing my sore neck, I walked quickly up to the owlery, my stomach complaining that I wasn't feeding it all the way. When it came to getting an owl to deliver my letter, I truly realised how cranky I was. I almost broke a tawny's leg trying to stop it from moving around. I was relieved when the owl was out of the window, flying towards my daddy, and my advice.

* * *

My hand tightened around my books as I walked into transfiguration that day. Avoiding Professor Abbott's (Professor Whore I mean) eyes I took my seat in the second row, next to Abi, who was sharpening a plastic knife under the desk.

"What's that for?" I asked, confused and Abi shot her Cheshire cat smile at me before replying.

"I'm gonna kill her for what she did to you" she said, with a manic glint in her eye.

"Abi that is a plastic knife" I laughed, finding it funny that she was going to try and defeat Professor Whore with a plastic knife.

"But I get credit for trying right?" she joked, her American twang becoming a little more pronounced. I was about to answer when Professor Whore interrupted me.

"Alright class, she said. Take out the essay I set you last lesson, Miss Patil would you collect them." She said and unnoticed by the rest of the class, she shot a smug look at me. I trembled with anger and snapped my quill. Abi wordlessly handed me a new one out of her bag. She too was shaking with anger, giving Professor Whore the dirtiest look.

"That's low" Abi hissed under her breath "It's bad enough that you're in her class, but now she's rubbing it in" Words couldn't come to me, I just sat there, seething. That little bitch, how dare she. She waltzes into our relationship, takes my boyfriend and then rubs it in. How dare she! I took a deep breath and calmed myself as Padma handed out a short topic test. Again, when the rest of the class was looking the other way, she shot me another smug look and the wrackspurts took all my concentration. I sat there, shaking in anger in danger of snapping Abi's quill. If she did that one more time I was going to hex her.

Slowly I lowered my eyes to my test and read question one.

_When transfiguring an item of furniture, what must the caster focus their mind on?_

I don't know! Killing Professor Whore, I glanced up at the clock and she seized the opportunity to mouth _he's mine_ at me. My had was halfway towards my wand when the desk went flying across the room as Abi flung herself at Professor Whore.

"YOU SLUT!" Abi yelled, tackling her to the ground and kicking her wand away "HOW DARE YOU, DO THAT TO LUNA, HOW DARE YOU?" The class all turned towards me expectantly, as If they wanted an explanation. I put my hands up in the air as if to say _I have no idea why she's attacking her_.

"Vous êtes horrible! vous êtes très horrible! Vous petite merde! comment osez-vous_"_

_BANG_

Abi went flying across the room, ramming her head into the opposite wall. She cried out in pain as Professor McGonagall walked into the room.

"Abigail Rowe, my office, now" she snapped at Abi, who was being helped to her feet by Xanthea. "Hannah, are you alright?" she asked Professor Whore.

"Fine" she said, standing up and straightening her robes. I was pleased to see a black eye coming through and a bleeding lip.

"Rowe, my office and I suppose you'd better come too Lovegood, I need to talk to you about something." McGonagall said sternly. Abi and I gathered our things and walked out of the classroom.

"What language was that?" I whispered softly to Abi while McGonagall was talking to the remainder of the students.

"French" Abi smiled. "I told her she was horrible, that she was a little shit and asked her how dare she" Abi paused for a second, "do you reckon I should've called her a slut?

"How do you say that?" I asked with a soft laugh.

"I think its _salope_, but I'm not sure" Abi said, her brow furrowed as McGonagall stalked passed us. We followed in silence. Abi was in big trouble, me, I didn't even know why I was coming.

"In" McGonagall said and Abi and I obeyed, like dogs. We took a seat in the two chairs we had sat in on Sunday. McGonagall sat down opposite us, giving Abi a filthy look. "Abigail, what on earth possessed you to do such a thing?"

Abi was silent, she stared at the floor, prodding at a bruise on her knee.

"She was provoking Luna" Abi muttered and McGonagall turned to me.

"Is this true Luna?"

"Yes Professor" I replied, now also staring at the floor.

"Do you know why she was provoking you?" She asked. I was seriously considering telling her everything and get Professor Whore fired, but I thought better of it. I shook my head. McGonagall turned back to Abi.

"Even if she was being provoked, you have a wand Abigail, why would you resort to some kind of muggle duelling!"

"I'm sorry" Abi murmured.

"And you should be" McGonagall said "you are going to write a formal apology to Professor Abbott"

"Yes Professor" Abi said, her voice becoming softer and softer with every word. McGonagall nodded curtly at her before turning to me.

"Luna, I know that you were in the hospital wing with Aline Oakley last night, but one of your roommates handed this in this morning, we haven't opened it, but we wish to see what it says. Miss Patil said she found it on your pillow.

She handed me an envelope with the name Luna Lovegood on it. It wasn't anyone's writing that I recognised. I opened the envelope and slit open the letter. I almost fainted at what it said.

_Luna Lovegood,_

_Ellen and Orion Rowe are dead, so is Luke Oakley, It should've been Aline and Phoebe Oakley last night, they were lucky. First we will take your most loved, then your most cherished. One by one they will be taken from you, until you are alone. You have allowed them to die for you, turn yourself over and they will be spared. _

_D. G. B. T. H. E_

* * *

**AN: MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS! here is your early christmas pressie! I'm exhausted! I've been non-stop writing for about six hours now while on twitter (follow me, originalhorcrux , no spaces) and Pottermore (GalleonDream189) I have like no energy to write a proper author's note. Anyway, this chapter is the longest yet! over 4,000 words! anyway, So questions and then I'll see you tomorrow with your Christmas presents (yes plural)**

**-Who do you reckon the note is from?  
-Why do you think they are targeting Luna?  
-What did you think of Abi and Hannah's little bitch fight? (I personally was very happy with it :D)**

_**Reviews make Luna find some clues**_

**See you tomorrow!**

**~The Original Horcrux~**


	23. Hunter and Prey

***REPOSTED! – My fanfiction account stuffed up majorly and cut out really important bits of this chapter and I only JUST realised. It also wouldn't let me upload new chapters into the Doc Manager until now. So, I was unable to complete the Christmas and New Years Marathon... WTF is this? I'll try and get lots of chapters up in quick succession now. **

* * *

Chapter 23  
Hunter and Prey

I folded the note and put it inside my robes. Trying to act nonchalant, Professor McGonagall couldn't know about this. It was my problem to sort out. I didn't want anyone else getting hurt.

"What is it Luna?" McGonagall asked, looking concerned "Who wrote it?"

"It's a letter from my dad" I lied quickly "he's ill"

"Oh, well, tell him to get better soon" she said, dismissing us. But there was a glint in her eye that told me that she didn't believe me.

"Oh and Abigail, you will serve detention with me for the next two weeks and I want that formal apology to Professor Abbott by tomorrow" she called after Abi. Abi nodded and we exited the office. Abi let out her breath in a whoosh.

"I'm in deep shit" she moaned, hitting herself repeatedly in the head. I grabbed her hand and pinned it down by her side.

"Abusing yourself isn't going to do anything. Let's go to the hospital wing" I said, tugging on her arm.

"I didn't even bruise myself Luna!" she said, evidently confused.

"No, silly, we're going to see Aline" I said, rolling my eyes at her stupidity.

We walked briskly down the corridors towards the hospital wing. Half of my mind was still on the mysterious note, the other was focusing on what Abi was saying about her written apology to Professor Whore.

"What do you reckon I should start with... Dear Professor Bitch, or Dear Professor Life-Ruiner?" she asked. I snorted with laughter. Abi had that amazing ability to turn even the most serious situations funny.

We reached the Hospital wing in less than five minutes. Phoebe was still there beside Aline, whose eyes were still closed, but her complexion looked a lot better than it had that morning.

"Hey guys" Phoebe said, her voice back to its normal chirrup.

"Horrible" spat Abi "Professor Fuckwit Abbott kept making faces at Luna, She's already taken her boyfriend, does she really need to rub dirt in the wound?" Phoebe looked scandalised as Abi ploughed on "I sort of lost it towards the end, taught the bitch a lesson"

"Nice one Abi" said a voice from the bed, Aline was finally awake. "So," she said, propping herself up on the pillows like she'd just had a common cold, not a near death experience. "What have I missed?"

* * *

The next few months passed in a haze, there was no more word from the mysterious D. G. B. T. H. E. Nothing much had changed. Professor Whore was still being very nasty and Neville didn't even seem to know that I was still alive anymore. Whenever we passed in the corridor, he wouldn't even so much as look at me, It was the same in class, He ignored my hand when it went up in the air and asked the other students in the class. The only time he acknowledged my existence was when he took the register. My life had reached an all time low, it was like the plane I'd been flying in since May had hit turbulence and crashed and My friends were left to pick up the pieces.

Christmas and New Year came and went, and before I knew it, It was February and the workload was becoming unbearable. NEWTS would start at the end of May and multiple seventh years could be found in the common rooms and the library, late at night, studying endlessly. I put down my quill and massaged my head. I'd had an ear-splitting headache for the last hour and It had made it nearly impossible to concentrate on my potions essay (_Explain the effects of the Draught of Living Death and why/how they can be fatal)_ I forced myself to try and concentrate on my essay, if I didn't then- too late. The memories of him had come back. I concentrated hard on what Daddy had told me over Christmas break.

_Don't lose sleep over it Luna, he's just a stupid boy. They'll break your heart as long as you have one to break. He's not the one, move on. _

_The anger pangs had started just after the holidays, after daddy had told me why he kicked Neville out when I started school. His words floated back to me_

_I kicked him out because I found letters in the bin, love letters from a girl named Hannah._

_That's when I realised that he'd never loved me. He was just using me, using me because he and Hannah had probably had a bust up, he'd never loved me, not ever. Hot angry tears sprang to my eyes and began to run down my face. Everything had been a lie every single part of it. _

_"Luna" Abi said tentatively from behind me, because I'd been avoiding her, Aline and Phoebe ever since we'd returned from the holidays, for their own safety of course. I replied with a sniff._

_"Do you want to go down to the kitchens and grab a bite to eat before Defence Against the Dark Arts?" I turned around, wiping my eyes and replied_

_"Yeah, I'd like that very much"_

_Abi looked relieved. I didn't blame her. Lately when she'd asked me if I wanted to do something, I'd either ignore her or claim that I had other work to do._

_"I've missed you Luna," Abi said with a smile as we walked down towards the kitchens. _

_"Same" I smiled back. It felt good being back in Abi's company. But distancing myself from her was a necessary precaution. She may not be as lucky as Aline and Phoebe if _D. G. B. T. H. E. Decided to make a move on her. Being with her took my mind of the note for a minute, but not forever. As soon as we stopped talking my mind fell on it again. Someone wanted to kill me; they were going to kill everyone close to me until I gave myself up. I wanted to stop and yell "Here I am, take me, don't hurt anyone else!" but I didn't know who they were. The signature was a number of initials.

_D. G. B. T. H. E_ what could that stand for? Who had a name that was that long? And how did they know about Ellen, Orion and Luke? Unless they'd killed them then they had no idea. A new thought came into my head, what If they _had _killed Ellen, Orion and Luke? What if they were killing them to get to me? But why would they kill the siblings of my friends, why not just kill my friends? And I hadn't even known Abi when her Brother and Sister were killed. These questions and more flicked through my head at lightning speed making me feel vulnerable and exposed. I needed to get some air, I needed to get away from Abi, Aline and Phoebe again, I couldn't endanger them anymore.

"I need some air" I gasped and ran off in the opposite direction from Abi, I knew the closer I was to her, the more she was in danger.

"Hey, Luna, what?" Abi stammered confused as I sprinted around the corner. I heard her running after me and I pushed myself to run faster, jumping through a tapestry and sitting in the little alcove it concealed. I heard Abi run past, calling my name.

Once I was sure that no one was going to walk in on me, I took the crumpled note out of my pocket and re-read it for the billionth time

_Luna Lovegood,_

_Ellen and Orion Rowe are dead, so is Luke Oakley, It should've been Aline and Phoebe Oakley last night, they were lucky. First we will take your most loved, then your most cherished. One by one they will be taken from you, until you are alone. You have allowed them to die for you, turn yourself over and they will be spared. _

_D. G. B. T. H. E_

I shuddered at the way it was written. It made me feel alone, and exposed. _First we will take your most loved, then your most cherished. _My most loved person in the world was in danger. Daddy! I had to warn him. Why I hadn't told him over the break I don't even know. I stood up quickly, bumping my head on the wooden frame of the tapestry as I jumped out. Shoving the note in my pocket, I sprinted up to the owlery.

Once there I pulled out the note, duplicated it and scribbled a message on the back.

_Daddy,  
You are my most loved, you need to go into hiding, Now, someone is after me, I don't know who but they're going to use you. Double check the protective enchantments and make sure you don't tell anyone about this or give anyone you don't know our location._

_I love you  
Luna_

I stuffed my quill and the original note back into my robes. Just as I was attaching the letter to a barn owl's foot when a tawny flew in through the window, almost colliding with the side of my head, I tried to ignore it, as it most certainly wasn't my letter. It pecked at my fingers impatiently and stuck out its leg. Okay maybe it was my letter. I untied the reply with fumbling fingers and opened it.

_Luna Lovegood,  
We have your most loved, now we will take your most cherished. We will kill anyone who stands in our way. One by one they will die, until you are all alone. Turn yourself over, and they will be spared. _

_B. T. H. E. D. G_

The parchment fell on the dropping strewn floor of the owlery. They had daddy. I collapsed against a wall, my hands over my face. I screwed up the first note and the note to daddy and put it in my robes. They had daddy, god knows what they were going to do to him. I drew my knees up to my chest as my eyes fell on the signature on the second note. It was different to the first, great, another person with an incredibly long name.

Darkness fell over the castle and I decided to finally move from my spot in the owlery. I couldn't go to dinner, I would endanger everyone around me. I walked past the great hall, with all the beautiful smells of food wafting out of it. My stomach rumbled hungrily, I hadn't eaten all day. I'd go down to the kitchens and get some stuff later.

The grounds were deserted; hardly surprising, seeing that everyone was at dinner. I wondered round the edge of the lake and sat in the low branches of an overhanging tree, dangling my feet in the water. It was dark and concealing, it made me feel safe. I was just beginning to feel relaxed when the front doors opened, bathing the grounds in light. Just as suddenly as they had opened, they closed, plunging the grounds into the darkness again. Two figures were silhouetted in the darkness; they were walking towards the forbidden forest. What were they doing out here while everyone else was at dinner? I got up and began to follow them towards their destination. I stuck to the cover of the trees, thinking that, even though it was dark, that they would turn and see me at any moment.

They disappeared into the forest and I followed them cautiously. Through the trees I could see a flickering light. So they were meeting in the forest. I stopped about fifteen meters away from where they were meeting. I couldn't see anything, but I could hear a man telling the two people something.

"You're sure? She got the note?" He said, his voice was gruff and he seemed to growl every word. I stifled a gasp, they were talking about me.

"Positive" said the second voice, it was a girl and it sounded somewhat familiar. "She practically avoided everyone all day. She's either scared or distancing herself from people."

"We need to scare her more, make her turn herself over to us" said the third voice, which also sounded strangely familiar.

"No, she's already freaked out. We pretty much told her that we killed her friends siblings and she thinks we killed her dad. She's worrying about who's next" said the second voice.

"No, Heidi is correct" said the gruff voice "we need to either kill her father or take her most cherished. Eloise, this is where you come in" Heidi and Eloise, I firmly locked the names in my brain, making a mental note to ask around to see who knew a Heidi or an Eloise.

"You know it would help if we included where she would turn herself over in the notes." Heidi said. The man with the gruff voice ignored her

"Who is her most cherished?" he asked.

"Her most cherished, it's Professor Longbottom, she's in love with him" Eloise said.

"I beg to differ" said Heidi "I know Professor Longbottom, and he hasn't mentioned her in the last week. He normally never shuts up about her"

"Then who do you think we should go for next?" the gruff voice asked.

"Her best friend, Abigail Rowe" said Eloise.

"Abigail Rowe?" the gruff voice asked "I thought Malfoy took care of her over the summer, when we killed her brother and sister."

"I don't know why we had to go after the siblings" muttered Heidi

"the Oakley boy knew something, he saw Eloise sneaking around his house, we had to delete him. And the Rowe children deserved it. What their parents did to us was unforgivable" the gruff voice said.

"She escaped, a house elf by the name of Gullary" Eloise replied. Ignoring the last statement and answer "She is her most cherished"

"Shall we strike tomorrow?" Heidi asked eagerly. "Let me kill her this time, I've been left out of everything else. I really just want to slit her throat and watch her bleed to death"

"Not tomorrow Heidi" said the gruff voice "we need more information about how close she is to Abigail, Eloise, can you get it?"

"Sure" Eloise replied. I'd had enough. I backed up silently and once I was out of their earshot, I sprinted back up to the castle, my brain reeling. Abi was next, my father was alive, Luke was killed because he knew about the revolt, poor Ellen and Orion were killed because of what Abi's parents had done to the death eaters in the past, Eloise and Heidi were two of the death eaters. I really hoped they didn't turn into mini Bellatrixes. I couldn't tell Abi, she'd freak out. I had to distance myself from her, protect her. I couldn't sleep in the dormitory anymore. I would have to find somewhere else in the castle to sleep. The room of requirement sounded good. A soft bed and a fire was all I needed.

Once in the castle, I made my way up quickly up to the seventh floor. It was slow work as I was physically and mentally exhausted. I only just remembered to jump the trick step. I reached the room of requirement and walked back and forth thinking the same thing. _I need a place to sleep, I need a place to sleep, I need a place to sleep. _I opened my eyes and there in front of me was a very convincing replica of my bedroom door. I flung it open and stepped inside.

It was my room, the place I wanted to be the most, the place where it was the easiest to sleep. It was mine right down to the last speck of dust. I walked across the room and collapsed onto my bed. For the first time that day, I truly felt safe.

* * *

"Luna Lovegood, I know you're in there." I woke the next morning to a banging on the door and Abi's unmistakable voice. How the hell did she know where I was? "Get out here now and tell me what the fuck is going on with you?"

Yep, that was definitely Abi. I got up, straightened my robes and opened the door.

"About time too" Abi said, pulling me by the front of my robes out of the room. As soon as the door shut behind me the room disappeared. "Where the fuck were you last night?"

"I was in there" I said, jabbing my finger at the blank stretch of wall.

"No shit Sherlock" Abi replied angrily "I mean at dinner, and why the fuck did you run away from me yesterday, why did you spend the night in the room of requirement instead of back at the dorm"

"Calm down, enough swearing" I said, attempting to calm her down. She glared at me and I suddenly felt guilty. "Abi, I think I owe you an explanation"

"You bloody well do" she yelled. "Now you'd better start talking before I hex you"

I grabbed her arm and pulled her along the corridor to a hidden passageway. We stepped inside and I forced her down on the ground.

"What is this Luna?" she asked all traces of anger gone now that she knew I was going to tell her everything. I pulled both notes out of my pocket and thrust them at her. She read through the notes, her eyes growing wider at every word.

"They k-killled Ellen and Orion... Luke too? And they've kidnapped your father" Abi said shakily and I nodded. Well, she knew I was in danger so I may as well tell her.

"I overheard them talking in the forbidden forest last night" I said softly "They were planning"

"Planning?" Abi gulped fearfully.

"Like the note says, _we have your most loved, now we will take your most cherished. _Abi, they think that you are my most cherished, that's why I didn't come back to the dormitory last night. They're watching my every move Abi; they probably know I'm talking to you right now."

"Did they let slip any information?" Abi asked, pouring over the notes.

"Only two names, Eloise and Heidi" I said, "but a fat lot of good that'll do us if we-" Abi interrupted me with a strangled cry.

"Look Luna, _D. G. B. T. H. E," _she pointed to the first note "_D. G. B. T. Heidi. Eloise_" she said excitedly and realisation hit me. It wasn't a set of initials, it was people's names.

"But it's different on the second note" I said dejectedly and Abi shook her head.

"Can't you see it Luna, _B. T. H. E. D. G_ is just an anagram of _D. G. B. T. H. E. _It's the same letters, just in a different order." Abi said, pointing. "But what could the D, the G, the B, and the T stand for" A memory of something said in the forbidden forest came back to me. _I thought Malfoy took care of her. _The voice was clear in the back of my mind. But there was no M in the letters. I hit myself hard in the head. Draco, that's what the D stood for.

"Draco, Abi the D stands for Draco." I said quickly and Abi pulled out a quill and scribbled down

_Draco. G. B. T. Heidi. __Eloise. _

I racked my brains for more names. What could the B stand for? Blaine, Blake, Blaise?

"B is Blaise Zabini" I said

"Brilliant" Abi said and she scribbled it down."Which means the G is Gregory Goyle" she continued, writing it down.

"And the T is Theodore Nott!" I finished.

"Yes" Abi said, slapping me a high five. "We make a great detective team" We both looked down on the parchment which now read

_Draco. Gregory. Blaise. Theodore. Heidi. Eloise_.

"Well, done" Said a voice from above us "You've figured it out, now you will die"

The second I looked up, everything went black.

* * *

**AN: Like I said before, it's reposted and revamped, This was SUPPOSED to be the Christmas chapter, so Merry Christmas for then, Grr hating my fanfiction account right now. Sooo, what was supposed to be the boxing day chapter will be up soon and then the New Years chapter. *starts to go back to hating fanfiction account* Anyway chapter questions.**

**-What do you think is going to happen to Luna and Abi?  
-Do you guys even remember when Luna's dad kicked Neville out?  
-Was the signature easy to work out for you people before Luna and Abi worked it out?**

_**Reviews make Neville have a heroic moment.**_

**~The Original Horcrux~**


	24. Trapped

Chapter 24  
Trapped

"Do you reckon she'll be alright?"

"She looks terrible"

"Let's throw you into a punch up and see what you look like afterwards"

"Probably a right sight better than she normally does" I said, opening my eyes, letting them see that I was awake. My head hurt like hell and moving the tiniest muscle took most of my energy. The surface underneath me was comfortable, which meant that I wasn't in the Hospital wing. The good old Ravenclaw common room would do me for now.

"You're alright Luna" said Phoebe, giving me a huge hug, I returned the hug, smiling at Aline over her shoulder. She returned the smile faintly. Phoebe broke away and sat on the edge of the couch. "What happened Luna?" she asked, worry etched across her face. It all came rushing back, telling Abi that she was next on the death eaters' hit list, figuring out the signature on the note, the dark figure in the corridor, then nothing.

"Where's Abi?" I asked, sitting up and looking around fearfully.

"We haven't seen her since Wednesday" Aline said sadly from her position on the other couch. My look of fear must've shown on my face because both twins' expressions turned into shock.

"What day is it?" I asked, throwing the woollen blanket off me and jumping up, looking around for a sign.

"Friday" Phoebe said, and I froze. "You've been drifting in and out since." Oh no, We'd been attacked on Thursday morning, Abi had been missing for around a day, It amazed me that no one had noticed she hadn't been turning up to her classes. I turned and sprinted up the stairs, my head throbbing worse than ever.

"Where are you going?" Aline yelled after me. I ignored her. I burst into the dormitory and began rifling through my things, attempting to find my cloak. I was going to find Abi, whether they wanted me to or not. A sheet of paper on Abi's pillow caught my eye. I moved over to it, cautiously, at the same moment, Aline and Phoebe came rushing into the room.

"What's going on?" Aline asked, placing a hand on my shoulder

"Tell us Luna" said Phoebe as I reached out for the note. As soon as I touched it, a strong sense of déjà vu crept over me. Printed on the paper were the words _You're Next_. I felt a jerk behind my navel and was pulled forward into nothingness. Aline at my side.

* * *

My feet slammed into solid ground and I toppled over. I opened my eyes to see trees, lots of trees stretching endlessly above me. Where was I? I lifted my hands up and saw the note still clutched tightly in my left hand. It was a portkey

"Aline" I yelled, getting up and thundering blindly around the trees until I ran into something very solid. I fell backwards, thinking that I'd hit a tree, only to see Aline looking around, just as confused as I was. "Aline, the note was a portkey"

"What, what note?" she said, confused

"This note" I whispered, a definite note of fear laced into my voice, I held up the piece of parchment with the words _you're next _inked on it in red ink.

"Is that-"she started to ask but I cut her off.

"Blood, yes, but we don't know whose, though I have a sneaking suspicion it's Abi's" I said quickly, helping her to her feet.

"WHAT!" she exclaimed loudly. "Why the hell would a note be written in Abi's blood "Luna you'd better start explaining."

"I'll explain later, right now we just need to find Ab- AHHH" I yelled as I found myself falling quite quickly into the earth

"Luna" Aline yelled, "Luna are you alright?"

"Yeah" my voice drifted back up to her. "It's one of those traps made for tigers and whatnot, c'mon, levitate me back up." I walked over to one of the walls and attempted to climb back up it, aiding Aline's attempt. But no matter how hard I tried, the dirt on either side wouldn't budge. It was like it was a brick wall disguised as dirt. I kicked it in frustration and there was a hollow thud from behind. That's when It clicked, this was a magically dug hole. _That's _why I couldn't get the dirt around the edges to budge. I pushed gently on the hollow part and a door swung open.

"Get down here Aline, I found a passage way, this might lead us to Abi." I yelled up to Aline. I saw her face lean over the rim of the hole and survey the jump, apprehension written all over her face.

"Nuh uh, no way Luna, I'll break my leg" Aline said, stepping back from the edge.

"Rubbish" I said "_Accio _Aline" before I knew it, Aline was toppling down the hole on top of me, knocking me to the ground. I pushed her off me and jumped to my feet. A finger pressed over my lips, indicating to her to be silent. I crept stealthily through the opening to the passage way, beckoning to Aline to follow.

It was eerie, that was for sure. There were torch lights in brackets about every ten meters, It gave the feeling that you were alone. My heart pumped at a million miles an hour as I saw my shadow disappear around a corner, followed by Aline's as we both followed after them.

"I don't think there's anything down here Luna" Aline whispered quickly, I could hear the fear in her voice and could tell that she hated this passage way just as much as I did. I was about to reply, before I was cut off by a scream, a familiar scream. A scream that I'd heard so many times in sleep when she'd had nightmares. Aline looked at each other for a split second and the same word issued from our lips.

"Abi"

However much we wanted to go back and get out of here, we knew that continuing was compulsory, Abi was in danger, and we were the only ones that knew. I suddenly cursed myself for not telling a teacher, It was the logical thing to do, why wouldn't that come straight to mind? _Because you're a teenager _said a sly voice in the back of my mind _because you think you can do everything_. Well, that might be true, I thought in my defence, but at least I'll have no problem getting into the ministry after this.

Another scream issued from somewhere below and Aline and I doubled our pace, still managing to keep silent.

"Do you hear that?" Aline whispered as we continued to creep along the magically dug passage way. I shook my head as the path sloped downwards steeply. I dug into my heels to keep from slipping downwards, Aline was clutching onto my arm for dear life. I could feel my heart pounding in my ears now, making it impossible for me to hear whatever Aline could. "There it is again" she said, stopping dead in her tracks. "Listen" and listen I did. Then I heard it, a ticking noise, It was faint but audible. I shook my head and continued to walk. Aline's grip on my arm was starting to cut off the circulation. All the while the ticking noise grew louder and louder until I realised.

"ALINE IT'S A BOMB!" I yelled, tackling her to the ground as an explosion loud enough to wake the dead issued over us. Rocks flew everywhere, debris flying over our heads and covering us in rubble. I curled into a ball to protect my head until the explosion had blown itself out. I shakily got to my feet, brushing dust and small rocks off me. I saw Aline lying a few feet away, shaking.

"Aline, are you alright?" I said, walking over and shifting a large boulder that was trapping her arm.

"F-fine" She whimpered, her voice suggested otherwise. Her arm was obviously broken, crushed by the look of pain she had on her face when she attempted to move it.

"Here" I said, conjuring a splint and a sling out of thin air with my wand and fixing it around her arm "that should hold it until we can get you to Madam Pomfrey." She managed a small smile, still gritting her teeth with pain.

"I don't like this part of wonderland, Alice" she said, as we continued down the passageway which was, by now, almost like a slide and we had to use all the strength we had in our feet to stop us from falling down it.

Another scream. Much closer now, and I could also hear voices, laughter and jeering. My blood ran cold _there's more than one in there. _Aline jumped at the sound and slipped, pulling me down after her. We tumbled down the slope, Aline issuing small squeaks from whenever she was thrown onto her injured arm from the momentum of the fall. I scrabbled, trying to stop my descent, but all I succeeded in doing was scraping my knuckles against the ground and the walls. It seemed like we were never going to stop falling, It was like falling down the rabbit hole, although there was no rabbit in this story.

_SPLASH_

I was submerged in something icy cold. Water, I felt the breath get knocked out of me as the weight of my clothes pulled me down to the depths. I kicked furiously upwards, In desperate need of air. _BREATHE! _My brain screamed at me, but when I tried all I got was a lungful of water. I coughed and breathed in more water. I began to sink again, the surface was getting further and further away. I was going to die. Suddenly, I felt a hand on the top of my head, grabbing my hair and I was yanked upwards.

I gasped in air and coughed up water as I was pulled onto dry land. I looked up and saw Aline, just as wet and bedraggled as me, shivering about half a meter away, clutching her arm. It was her who had saved me.

"How?" I managed to say before she cut across me.

"I live on a beach, do you really expect me to not know how to save someone from drowning" she said and I nodded my head in a kind of _touché _way. I took in my surroundings. We were sitting on a sort of ledge that was situated about a foot above the water. I saw that the path that we had fallen down had a narrow ledge leading around the deep freshwater pool. It lead towards another passageway on the opposite side.

Shivering, I got to my feet, and began to walk towards it. As I did, Abi screamed again and I was shocked at how loud the sound was, we must've been very, very close. Aline was behind me again, almost giving me a heart attack when I turned to tell her to come.

This passageway was almost pitch back and I had to feel my way around the corners. I was beginning to think that this was all a big joke when I saw a light flickering at the end of the corridor. If my heart had been pounding before, it was nothing to what it was doing now. It felt like it was about to jump out of my mouth. Aline's nails were digging into my arm so hard that I was sure that it would pierce the skin. Everything was silent as we reached the light. It was a cave, with boulders covering the entrance.

I pressed a finger to my lips again and lead Aline over to crouch behind a large boulder, peeking through the crack between it and the second one. There was a circle of masked people, from experience I knew that the masks belonged to the –

"Death eaters" Aline breathed softly into my ear so that only I could hear. There were seven in all and my mind automatically ran over the signature on the note. Six names, plus their gruff voiced leader. They were all situated in a semi circle around a figure that was tied to the rocks behind them. I squinted and saw Abi's pale face under the curtain of lank brown hair that hung around her face as her head lolled forward, she was unconscious. I squeezed my eyes shut as I realised that she was naked and a hundred thoughts that shouldn't be thought about rushed into my head, the strongest of those being. _GET HER CLOTHES BACK ON HER! _Aline seemed to have been thinking the same thing as she was looking resolutely away from the crack in the rocks. It seemed like we were waiting forever before the Gruff voiced leader began to speak.

"It seems that I was mistaken" He said, addressing the party sitting around Abi and their heads snapped towards him. "I believed that the Lovegood girl would come to rescue her friend within twenty four hours. It has now been thirty six. Kill her"

The order slipped from his lips as easily as if he was asking for a drink of water.

"NO!" Aline yelled and sprang up, giving our hiding place away. All seven death eaters shot curses at her and by some miracle; she managed to dodge every one. I jumped up and hoisted myself over the boulders, stunning two of the seven in the process. Aline was engaged in a fierce duel with two, her injured arm hindering her somewhat and the remaining three advanced on me. I threw up a shield charm and attempted to duel them but they were too superior, with much more spell knowledge and experience than me. I was about to cast _Impedimenta _when I changed my mind half way and cast _Stupefy _instead. To my surprise, I managed to hit one of the death eaters as she fell, her mask fell off and my mouth fell open. It was Eliza, sweet Eliza from my dorm, she was in with these people? Well, that's how they've been getting to me all year. I just managed to block a hex from the next death eater and dodge a killing curse from the leader at the same time when a scream from Aline alerted me to the fact that I was now on my own, duelling four death eaters at once. I blocked a stunner from one, dodged a killing curse from another, ducked a cruciatus curse from the third and blocked another stunner from the fourth.

I knew the moment that the four killing curses had been cast that I was a goner, but somehow, they all missed and hit the rock wall behind me. It was like the night that the death eaters had got in, in fifth year, I'd had the lucky potion and everything seemed to bounce off us. I managed to catch another off guard and his mask fell off. I recognised him as Theodore Nott.

"Heidi, Eloise and Theodore are down" the gruff voiced man yelled to the death eater to his left as I blasted her mask off. If Eliza had been a shock, then this was a heart attack. It was Professor Whore! Professor Hannah Abbott was a death eater? I stopped in my tracks. Eloise was Eliza and Heidi was Hannah, they were code names.

I managed to pull myself back to the present just as a killing curse flew so close past my ear that I could've sworn it grazed it. Even with Eliza, Theodore and the other two death eaters down, It still didn't change the situation much, I was duelling three fully grown wizards at once without any backup. I backed up against the stone wall, still ducking, dodging and casting spells at the death eaters. The three of them bore down upon me and I gave up. I was going to die.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Yelled a voice I knew only too well. It was Neville. He rushed in shooting spells everywhere, hitting the death eater to the right of the leader, Phoebe close behind him. She let out a cry of distress at the sight of Aline, slumped unconscious on the ground and rushed to her sister's side. I sprung up from the ground and returned to the fight as Neville brought down Professor Whore with a look of shock on his face. The tables had turned. It was now Neville and I against the gruff voiced leader. But not for long, I could see Eliza starting to stir, she would wake at any moment.

"The aurors are on their way" Neville yelled.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The leader made a slashing movement with his wand and a purple light made its way towards me. I knew what was going to happen, but it didn't because Phoebe threw herself in the way, Like you see in those terrible action muggle movies when someone dives in front of a bullet to save a friend or someone that they love.

"NO" I found myself yelling as Phoebe fell to the ground. Tears began to flow down my face as the leader advanced on me. If there was any time that I needed the aurors it was now. _Please muggle god, don't let me die._

It was if my prayer had been answered because the air erupted with shouts and aurors poured in, stunning the leader and rushing in to see if everyone was alright. I stood up and ran around the cave, looking for anything to put over Abi, to save her the shame of being seen naked by twenty male aurors. I fumbled with the clasp of my still wet cloak, severed the ropes that she was tied to the rock with and covered her with the cloak. For the first time that night, I relaxed, but it was short lived.

I felt something lodge in my shoulder and pain ripped through it I spun around to see Eliza with a muggle instrument that they call a gun, pointed at me. I tried to draw my wand to stun her again but the pain was too much. She yelled in triumph as I slumped to the ground. The aurors converged on her, but it was too late, she had already disapparated.

I staggered back over to Abi and collapsed at her side, my hand still clutching my shoulder. I pulled it away to see a lot of blood. Just the sight of blood was enough to make me feel like vomiting. I froze with shock and fell backwards into someone's arms.

"You're going to be okay" the voice of Neville Longbottom said and I felt the pain in my shoulder go away "I've got you"

* * *

**AN: I totally creeped myself out writing this. I wrote it in the dark at 11pm-1am. NOT FUN! I actually had to stop at one point and read a Roald Dahl book and come back. I was jumping at every noise and the bloody possums like to run across my roof at night and I was sure that I heard someone creeping into the house. But, of course, It was my imagination. I had quite a fun time listening to French songs to take my mind off it. Now is the time where I'm forever grateful to my dad for getting me headphones that block out all noise! You should all go check out Yelle on youtube (My personal favourite is "C'est Pas Un Vie". I think it means "It's not Life") she's like the French Katy Perry or Lily Allen, whichever you prefer. I can only understand a fraction of the words but the tunes are really catchy. Right, I'm going to bed and listening to more of my French songs before I creep myself out anymore. (Another personal French favourite is "Elle Me Dit" by Mika, it means "She Told Me")**

**-Neville's heroic moment? Good or Bad?  
****-Anyone expect "Heidi" and "Eloise" to be Hannah and Eliza  
****-Do you reckon Luna will forgive Neville after he helped rescue Abi**

**Oh, and vote on my poll! I'm going to start writing another story for when I finish everything else and intend on completing it before I start uploading. It puts too much pressure on me to upload on time and I don't like pressure, I get enough put on me with completing about five sets of homework on time.**

**I'll try and get a chapter done before I go camping on Friday but no guarantees as I have a very social week ahead of me, I'm still arguing with my friend about me shouting her movie tickets, she wants to shout me movie tickets, and it's all very confusing. Anyway, I won't bore you with my social life.**

_**Reviews make everything be revealed!**_

**~The Original Horcrux~**

**PS: I recently found out that this story has been copied and pasted word for word by** _HPWriter2011_** under the title** _After the War _**so ****feel free to go and flame him/her into oblivion. Special thanks to Nival Vixen for notifying me of this plajariser. I suggest you go and see if any of your stories have been plajarised as well, I have already found two authors. **


	25. Veritaserum

**Title: **Not Alone, Never Alone  
**Author: **The Original Horcrux  
**Pairing: **Neville/Luna  
**Rating: **T (for violence and coarse language)  
**Date: **15/03/12  
**Words: **3,960

Chapter 25  
Veritaserum

When I woke, I was suddenly aware that I was extremely comfortable and very warm. There were voices above me, they were hazy and only a few words jumped out at me. _Muggle wound ... muggle healing time ...lucky you were there Mr. Longbottom. _My eyes flickered open to see the hazy outline of Madam Pomfrey standing over me. As my eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the hospital wing, I saw many other figures gathered around my bed, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Abi (who was sporting numerous bruises, but looked relatively okay) Aline (who had her arm in a sling) and Neville.

"She's awake" Madam Pomfrey announced and started to shoo everyone away from my bedside so that I wouldn't be overwhelmed.

"What happened" I asked, my voice slurring the words together, making me sound drunk.

"Shit" I heard Abi breathe "She doesn't remember"

But I did remember. I remembered every heart stopping detail, right up to passing out in Neville's arms. Wait, what? I had passed out in Neville's arms. My mind automatically recoiled at the thought, before remembering that Professor Whore was a death eater. I hoped that they'd caught her, then she'd get what she deserved. I tried to push myself up into a sitting position but as soon as I moved my arm, pain shot through it and I fell back onto my pillows, my other hand automatically flying to my shoulder, where I could feel bandages restricting its movement.

"Try not to move Luna" Madame Pomfrey said "You've been injured with a muggle weapon, which was enchanted with magic, your wound will take quite a while to heal, and movement will be restricted. You'll feel slightly off for the next few days, but that's only because of the medication that I've given you to numb the pain"

I nodded silently and immediately felt the urge to scratch my eye. I blinked furiously to reduce the itch as Madame Pomfrey walked away to tend to someone on another bed. No sooner had she disappeared from view than I was smothered in a one-armed hug from Aline.

"I thought you were going to die" she whispered in my ear.

"What happened?" I asked, still feeling groggy from the medicine that Madame Pomfrey had given me for my shoulder.

"That's what I'd like to know" Harry said from his spot at the end of my bed. "I get woken up by Neville in the early hours of the morning saying that you and some girls called Abi and Aline have gone missing and we need to find you, what happened Luna, and I want the full story"

"Well" Aline started slowly, straightening up from the hug "Abi got captured by some death eaters and we went to rescue –"

"I know that bit, I mean what happened after I blacked out" I said, pushing myself up on my pillows with my good arm, wincing slightly as my shoulder moved. I didn't like being lower than everyone else.

"But Harry said he wanted to know the whole story" Aline protested, but Harry shook his head.

"Not yet" He said "The head of the Auror office needs to be here to hear it. Go on"

"Don't look at me, Aline and I were out as well" Abi said. I looked at Harry and Ron and they both shook their heads.

"I was in charge of taking the death eaters to Azkaban, I'm not sure what else happened with you guys" Ron said and Harry agreed with him.

"So we all just magically apparated back here while we were unconscious did we?" Abi laughed "Do we really look _that_ naïve?" when no one spoke she sighed exasperatedly and sat down on the chair beside my bed, which Aline had vacated moments ago.

"I know what happened" A voice spoke from behind my crowd of visitors, a voice that I knew only too well, the voice of Neville Longbottom. I gritted my teeth together to keep from asking him what he was doing near my bed, he had broken my heart, but mind you, he did save my life, twice, I had to give him that.

"We're all ears Professor," Abi pretty much hissed. She had been a little feistier towards him than I had since he'd cheated on me.

"Please, Abigail, call me Neville" he said, pulling up a chair from a neighbouring bed and sitting down, gesturing for everyone else to do so. Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Aline sunk to the floor, where I could only just see the tops of their heads. Neville took a deep breath and began to speak.

"Well, After Luna passed out from the gunshot, all the aurors were rounding up the death eaters, the younger boy, Blaise Zabini put up a bit of a fight. How he escaped Azkaban is yet to be determined."

Harry opened his mouth, possibly to say how Zabini _did_ escape Azkaban, but Neville held up a hand and Harry shut it again.

"It was chaotic, and I had Luna bleeding in my arms, Abi was naked and unconscious a few feet away"

"I'm never going to be able to live that down" Abi muttered.

"Aline and Phoebe were practically being stepped on as the aurors attempted to round up the death eaters. I was all on my own, with four unconscious teenagers whom I had to get back to school as part of my duty of care. I moved Aline and Phoebe out of harm's way as I tried to staunch the bleeding from Luna's shoulder."

It was just then that It struck me, Phoebe wasn't there.

"Where's Phoebe?" I interrupted, just as Neville was about to start on the second part of his story. Aline pointed vaguely to somewhere out of my line of sight.

"She's still out" Abi said, she got hit with some kind of curse that knocked her out but didn't kill her."

Hermione stiffened and said through gritted teeth "Department of Mysteries, fifth year" which everyone there, but Aline and Abi immediately recalled. Hermione had been unconscious for days, before waking and having to take no less than ten potions every day for her to recover properly. "Poor girl, she's going to be in loads of pain when she wakes up. And those potions are no pumpkin juice"

Neville cleared his throat. "As I was saying" he said irritably and all our heads snapped back towards him, eager for more of the story. "I apparated back to Hogsmeade with Luna and Abi and told Madam Rosmerta to send word to the school while I went back for Aline and Phoebe. She must've done, because when I apparated back into the Three Broomsticks with them, Madame Pomfrey was there, tending to everyone's wounds. We brought everyone back here and that was the end of it, we've been waiting for about twenty-six hours for you to wake up Luna."

I opened my mouth to respond when the doors to the hospital wing banged open, and a man strolled in, followed by Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. Both Harry and Ron jumped to their feet. Then I knew, the time had come to tell everything to him. Every single heart stopping detail, from the note, to the shot.

* * *

"Thank You, Luna, Abigail, Aline, We wish you a speedy recovery." The head of the auror office, a man named Nicholas Darzky, said, concluding the interrogation. "Now, If you don't mind, we have one of the death eaters here and we are about to administer Veritaserum to them, would you like to hear what she has to say for herself?"

I was about to politely decline, as I was starting to feel drowsy again, but Abi spoke.

"Yes" she said, her voice full of malice and her face filled with hate and revenge.

"Come right along then" Darzky said, jovially, setting off down the hospital wing towards the doors, stopping only to have a quick word with Harry and Ron. Abi and Aline helped me out of bed, wincing every time something brushed my shoulder or if it jerked slightly. I found that my legs worked relatively well for someone who had been bedridden for about thirty hours at that point, but every with every step that I took, the impact from my foot into the ground made my shoulder twinge painfully and I tried to tread lightly, but to no avail. Walking hurt as much as a handstand would at that point, well maybe not that much, but it was close.

We followed Darzky, Harry and Ron down a maze of corridors that I didn't know Hogwarts even had, towards a sinister looking room with a big metal door that frankly scared the crap out of me and I felt genuinely afraid of what I was going to see when I went in there. Would the death eater that they caught be mangled and bloody, or were they charitable enough to clean them up before administering Veritaserum. Harry back behind us so that we were protected from the front and back as Darzky pushed open the door. The death eater obviously had not been cleaned up, and I found myself feeling glad that they hadn't given her that luxury, for it was the death eater that I wanted to see brought to justice the most. Professor Hannah Abbot.

Her eyes were sunken and dark circles had appeared under them since I had last seen her in transfiguration a few weeks back. She glared up at me, Abi and Aline as we entered the room and I did my best to glare back.

"The Veritaserum, please Horace" Darzky said, holding out his hand and from the shadows, our old, retired potions master, Professor Slughorn shuffled out, placed a vial of Veritaserum in Darzky's hand and shuffled away again. Darzky walked up to Professor Whore and unstoppered the vial of Veritaserum.

"Open your mouth, Hannah" Darzky said, a look of mixed disgust and disappointment was fixed on his face.

"Never" Professor Whore hissed and Darzky backhanded her across the face, she made no movement to retaliate.

"I said, Open your mouth" Darzky growled, seizing her face and forcing the Veritaserum into her mouth before pinching her nose and clamping a hand over her mouth to make her swallow the truth telling serum. We waited while she thrashed around before going calm. She stopped scrabbling around Darzky's hands and laid hers lightly in her lap. Darzky stepped away cautiously.

"What is your name?" Darzky asked, looking her in the eyes.

"Hannah Abbott" she answered calmly.

"Who am I?" Darzky asked again.

"Nicholas Darzky, head of the Auror office."

"It's working, most adults know me as Healer Darzky from St Mungo's" Darzky whispered. "Hannah only knows because she's my family. I'm her step uncle"

"Why were you working for the death eaters?" Darzky asked, turning his attention back to his step niece.

"I wasn't" she replied

"What?" Darzky said, pounding a fist on the table "What are you talking about, Hannah, you have just been found with a group of death eaters that were responsible for the attacks on Abigail Rowe, Luna Lovegood and Aline and Phoebe Oakley"

"I wasn't working for them by choice" Hannah said, the same calm expression fixed on her face.

"What?" Darzky said again before rounding on Slughorn in the shadows. "Horace are you sure that this is Veritaserum?"

"Positive Mr. Darzky, I brewed it yesterday, It's Veritaserum alright." Slughorn replied, nervously. Darzky turned back to Professor Whore and resumed the interrogation.

"What happened, Hannah? Tell me every detail, why were you targeting Luna Lovegood and why did do all those terrible things?"

"It was in the summer, I was about to go swimming in the lake near our home when somebody grabbed me from behind. I tried to escape but I was imperurised before I could do anything. They told me of my mission, that I was to accept a transfiguration apprenticeship at Hogwarts, that I was to seduce Neville Longbottom, that I was to make Luna Lovegood feel alone, that I was to kidnap Abigail Rowe as bait."

I felt Abi shudder beside me, which might not have been to do with how cold the dungeon was.

"On the first day I saw that Abigail had become friends with Luna which made my task easier, with my mole in Ravenclaw tower, Little Eliza Bennett, I was able to keep a twenty four hour watch on their friendship. Eliza informed me that Longbottom and Lovegood were dating, but that I already knew. It was how to seduce Longbottom that was the problem now."

"And how did you seduce Neville" Darzky asked, pacing up and down in front of the table.

"A love potion" she replied simply "I asked him by to help me stack some papers and I offered him a cup of tea, which was impregnated with love potion. He fell in love with me instantly, he found me… irresistible. When Luna walked in on us kissing, I knew that I had made her shield of protectors one weaker. Now it was time to take out the rest. While Luna and Abigail were away, I had Eliza do some snooping around in their dormitory, she planted some muggle recording devices in there, they were enchanted by my master so that they would work at Hogwarts. Eliza reported back to me that we would have to signal her somehow, she hadn't taken the hint when we killed her Friend's little brother."

"You bitch" Aline yelled "You killed my brother, my little brother, he didn't even do anything wrong! And you killed him, because you're a heartless bitch" Abi put her arms around Aline to restrain her from jumping at Hannah.

"But why Luna though, why target Luna?" Darzky asked "What did she do?"

"We weren't only targeting Luna, although we made it seem like we were. We were getting revenge on the Rowe's too, by hurting their friends. Abigail was supposed to die in the summer, but we only managed to get the younger ones. The parents we still have yet to find."

_And that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, seriously, Death Eaters have a really weird sense of logic_ I thought to myself.

"So you decided that you had to give Luna a signal?" Darzky prompted "What was the signal?"

"A note, signed in an acronym of the first names of the inner circle"

"What were the names?"

"Draco, Theodore, Gregory, Blaise, Heidi and Eloise"

"And who are Heidi and Eloise?" Darzky asked, still pacing. He was doing a really good job of intimidating Hannah.

"Code names for Eliza and I, we had to have them" Hannah stated.

"So what happened after that?" Darzky pressed

"Luna made herself distant from everyone else for at least five months until Abigail smelled a rat when Luna didn't return to the dormitory"

_Holy Nargles, I have just been stalked for the whole school year up to now and I didn't realise. _I thought, almost shitting myself at the thought.

"We kidnapped Abigail and knocked Luna out. Then we took Abigail to the cave and waited until Luna and Aline joined us"

"And your aim for all this was?"

"To kill a Rowe and to capture someone close to Harry Potter."

"What was in it for you?"

"Satisfaction of avenging the dark lord's death"

"Grace" Darzky said, and Professor Murray came out of the shadows "Please take the imperius curse off of our dear friend Hannah"

Professor Murray nodded and performed a non-verbal spell, waving her wand in an infinity shape. There was a blinding flash of blue light and then nothing. I blinked the spots out of my vision as Darzky walked up to Hannah.

"Are you under the imperius curse anymore?" he asked. Hannah looked up at him with tears in her eyes and shook her head

"No uncle Nicky" she whimpered "I'm not"

"Do you remember the things that you did?" Darzky asked his step niece

"Yes Uncle Nicky" she replied, tears streaming down her face.

"Do you feel remorse?"

"Of course Uncle Nicky" As soon as the words left her mouth, she began to shriek in pain. Writhing in her chains as some unknown force attacked her.

"What's happening?" I yelled to Darzky over Hannah's screams.

"Her soul is becoming whole again, I'm guessing by the volume of her screams, she had about three horcruxes" Darzky called back as Hannah continued to writhe in pain. I put the hand on the end of my uninjured arm over my ear. Three whole minutes she screamed for. One minute per Horcrux. Darzky walked towards Hannah, slumped in her chair, a mixture of sweat and tears pouring down her face. Her hair was damp and lank around her shoulders, but she was still alive.

"Hannah," Darzky said "You need to go to the hospital wing, soul regeneration is a very draining process. Grace, Horace will you escort her?"

Both Professor Murray and Slughorn nodded, and Darzky waved his wand and the chains that had been binding Hannah to the chair snaked away. Murray and Slughorn hoisted her up and guided her out of the room.

I stood there, breathing heavily, everything I thought about Hannah, everything I said had been a lie. She wasn't doing it knowingly, she was imperurised. She had made Neville break my heart, killed Luke and Kidnapped my father, all under the imperius curse. Wait, my father.

"Stop!" I yelled after Professor Murray and Professor Slughorn, I just need her to answer me this." I leaned in close to Hannah's ear and whispered "Where is my father?" her reply was so faint, that had I not been right next to her mouth, I wouldn't have heard it at all.

"Under the train tracks at kings cross."

I straightened up, _Under the train tracks at Kings Cross? What is with death eaters and underground hideouts?_ "Thank you" I replied as Murray and Slughorn dragged her out.

"That went well" Smiled Darzky "I can't wait to question the others" and he all but skipped out of the sinister room. With a fervent look at each other, Abi, Aline, Harry, Ron and I followed.

"Wow" Ron said, clapping Harry on the back "Death eaters still out to get you then, eh?"

"Why use Luna, why not use Ginny, she is my girlfriend" Harry said, his brow furrowed.

"Oh, Harry, Mate, use your death eater slaying noggin, she's too well protected. Professors are constantly on the alert for danger around Ginny, but Luna is a different story." Ron said, slapping Harry on the back of the head and laughing as he walked away.

"Well," Said Harry, changing the subject "shall we see If Phoebe is awake then?"

* * *

"Professor Slughorn" I called, seeing the old potions master leaving the hospital wing. "Professor Slughorn!"

He looked up, startled

"What is it my dear?" Slughorn asked.

"I need a cure for a love potion, how long will that take?" I asked desperately. A funny smile had come over Slughorn's face.

"I'm two steps ahead of you my dear. Go on, he's waiting for you" Slughorn said, gesturing to the hospital wing doors. How had he known? Well, he had been there when Hannah admitted to having used a love potion on him. I thanked Slughorn and turned into the Hospital wing.

It was like one of those scenes you see in muggle romantic movies, when the two lovers see each other across a field or something of the sort, and they run towards each other in slow motion.

All of a sudden, Neville had wrapped me up in his arms in a huge hug. I breathed in his scent, a scent that I hadn't smelt in so long.

"I am so, so sorry" he sobbed into my head. "I didn't know about the Love potion, If I did I would never have drunk that tea in the first place."

I found myself crying into his sweater as my arms tightened around him. "I love you" I said, my voice muffled.

"What was that?" He asked, pulling me away from him.

"I said I love you" I sniffed. A huge smile came across Neville's face and I felt a mirrored one come across mine. I stood on tiptoes and closed the gap between us, kissing him like I never had before.

* * *

**AN: FINALLY! I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO Sorry for the late update. **

**Lack of inspiration + School = No regular updates. **

**I originally had a shitlong authors note about Plagiarism but then I was like, screw that. You copy my story and I find out, you live with the guilt. So if this plagiarist is still reading then I have two words for you. Fuck you. **

**Anyway, On happier note. I got my own laptop, which means (hopefully) that I'll be updating more frequently. I've also started another story called **_**Kiss **_**which I update every Wednesday (Tuesday if you live in the US) So while you're waiting for this to be updated, you could fill in the time by reading Kiss. I also have a new fic up called **_**Light of Day**_**. And I haven't abandoned Texting, It will be updated soon, I promise. Oh! Before I go, everyone should go and check out **_**Lupins, Potters & Blacks**_** by Voldemort13, it's awesomesauce (you can find it in my favourites) Also, In the next chapter, I will be promoting people's stories, so If you want your story promoted, drop me a line with the title and I'll stick it in the next chapter. **

**You know what to do ;D**

_**Reviews Make the next chapter be happy!**_

**~The Original Horcrux~**

_©The Original Horcrux (2011-2012)_


	26. Never Forget

**Title: **Not Alone, Never Alone  
**Author:** The Original Horcrux  
**Pairing: **Neville/Luna  
**Rating: **T (for violence and coarse language)  
**Date: **08/04/12  
**Words: **3,607

* * *

Chapter 26  
Never Forget

I remained in the hospital wing until I could convince Madame Pomfrey that I was well enough to leave. If it was left up to her, I would have been stuck in that awful white room for an extra week at the very most. The only disadvantage to being out of the hospital wing was that I was off the painkillers for my shoulder, and moving hurt a lot more without them. The wound had healed to a scab, thanks to Madame Pomfrey's potions and I was slowly regaining movement, I could almost reach to pull my box down from the top of my dresser. But the best part about it all is that Neville and I were together again. He was exhausted, as all his efforts were being put into catching the remaining members of the death eater revolt. I was glad to see Nott, Malfoy, Goyle, Zabini and their Gruff voiced leader thrown straight into Azkaban.

After the interrogation with Hannah, which resulted in her being relieved from the imperius curse and having her soul put back together, we had to tell our story, not only to Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall, but to the entire wizarding world via the _Daily Prophet_ as well. Everyone was on edge, looking out for the death eaters that had attacked a young Hogwarts girl.

But still, Life goes on, and here we stand. The beginning of May was upon us, NEWTS were over and we were approaching the end of our time at Hogwarts. The four of us were somewhat heroes amongst the students. Ginny and Hermione were sort of put on the backburner, not that they were complaining of course. Ginny told me that it was nice not to have first years running around after them asking for details about the Battle that they'd rather be forgetting.

Abi was the only one among us that bore no physical scars from the death eaters. I of course, had my shoulder, Phoebe had her drooping eye, a result of hitting the ground hard after being knocked out with the purple spell and Aline had a long angry scar up her left arm as a result of the boulder landing on it. Abi however, bore more mental scars than the rest of us put together, she was the one they targeted to get to Harry through me, and she was the one they kidnapped, tortured and humiliated to get to Harry through me. It was all my fault that Abi woke up most nights screaming her head off for weeks after we were let out of the hospital, waking up half the house each time. It got to the point where the rest of our dorm moved in with their other friends so that they could get some sleep at night. Only I remained with Abi, she needed someone to comfort her and slowly, ever so slowly she managed to sleep the whole night through.

* * *

Our lives were slowly piecing themselves back together. I had Neville and my dad back in my life, which made my heart feel whole again. Phoebe and Aline's mum, Susan, told me that she didn't blame me in the slightest for what had happened to her daughters, even though the whole thing was my fault and Abi was become more like she was at the beginning of the year every day. It was starting to feel like the Death eater attack had never happened, until the nightmares started. It started off with me walking down a darkened underground passage with only wandlight to see. Those dreams alone creeped the hell out of me and I often woke up in a sweat with the covers tangled all around me. Those dreams progressed into having someone jump out of the shadows at me which made me almost pee my pants every time. I never told anyone, they didn't need to worry, It was my problem to deal with. Until it got to the point where I was scared to sleep, sitting with my back against the backboard of my bed trying to keep my eyes open for as long as possible before sleep drew me back into that horrible world.

_I was walking down a dark underground tunnel, the walls were moist with water, It must've been raining. Torches in brackets lit the way, I wasn't sure what I was looking for, only that I must find it. The eerie silence pressed in on my ears and the crunch of the gravel underneath my feet was enough to make me jump out of my skin. I quickened my pace, walking faster now, I had to find whatever was at the end of that tunnel. The torchlight began to flicker and I lit my wand as a gust of wind blew out the torches. Wait, that's not right, I'm underground, there's no wind underground. An anonymous face loomed out of the darkness, blood caked on its fingers and matted in its hair, a knife glinting in its hand. It jumped towards me, knife outstretched._

My eyes flew open, staring at the ceiling of my dorm. My covers and pyjamas drenched in sweat, my hair was damp and went everywhere. I was panting heavily as the image of the face with the knife faded from behind my eyelids.

_I am Luna Lovegood. _I thought firmly. _I am in Ravenclaw Tower, My dream was not real, I love Neville Longbottom, I will be okay. _I repeated these affirmations over and over until my heart rate slowed down enough for me to not jump at every noise. I got up and poured myself some water and downed the glass in a gulp. I couldn't sleep, not now. I glanced at my watch, 4am. There would be at least another four hours until the rest of the castle got up. Wonderful, four hours alone in the dorm with everyone asleep. I walked over to the window and opened it. A light wind lifted my damp hair off my sweaty neck. It felt pleasant on my skin, as if the wind were comforting me, telling me that it was just a dream.

I stood there for a while, staring out over the vast expanse of the grounds. Just thinking, mostly about my nightmare, and why mine had only started once Abi's had stopped. I wondered if Aline and Phoebe had nightmares sometimes too. They had each other, their twin bond was stronger than anything and I was positive that If Phoebe had nightmares, Aline would know, and vice versa.

I was beginning to feel good enough to go back to bed and lie awake for the next few hours, when I heard it, a noise I hadn't heard in weeks, the bloodcurdling scream of Abi Rowe.

I sprung into action as lamps flicked on all around me. Xanthea tumbled out of bed, Padma sat up quickly and Bridget turned over and put a pillow over her ears.

"Luna, I thought you said this had stopped!" Xanthea groaned, picking herself up off the floor and getting back into bed.

"I thought it had" I yelled back over the screams, pulling the hangings violently from around Abi's bed to find her writhing around, trapped in that horrible sleep paralysis. "Abi!" I yelled, shaking her shoulder as she screamed "ABI, WAKE UP!"

No response, unless you count screaming.

"Abi please" I yelled "You need to wake up" there was only one thing for it. I seized the water jug from beside her bed and poured the whole thing over her head. She woke up, tears in her eyes, still screaming until she saw where she was, when she lapsed into sobs. I sat down on the bed and wrapped her in a hug. She buried her head in my shoulder as I patted her on the back.

"Hey, it was just a dream, it's not real" I said, doing my best to comfort her.

We sat there for a while, until she had cried herself dry. I sat back as she rubbed her eyes. I didn't think it was the best time to ask, but I had to.

"I thought they'd stopped" I said, rubbing her arm and she shook her head.

"They never stopped" she said, her normally strong voice trembling.

"But you haven't woken up screaming for months" I said, confused.

"I never stopped" she said blandly. That's when it hit me, every night she'd been waking up screaming, but none of us ever heard it because of the hangings that she insisted on keeping around her bed so that she could put silencing charms on them to keep us from waking up. She must've forgotten to put them up tonight.

"Abi, you didn't!" I said angrily.

"I couldn't keep waking you up every night could I?" she said indignantly.

"Abi, you've got sleep paralysis! You don't wake up unless you're forced to." I said, she obviously didn't get the magnitude of the situation. Abi nodded slowly. "Are you meaning to tell me that you've been waiting out the nightmares, screaming your head off and thrashing around for the last month just so you didn't wake us up?"

Abi nodded again "I didn't want to annoy anyone."

"Annoy?" I spluttered "You didn't want to annoy anyone? Are you kidding me? We're worried, not annoyed."

"Nope, we're annoyed" Xanthea piped up from her bed on the opposite side of the room.

"Thanks for the input Xan" I called back. "Not needed though."

"Welcome" she said back, sticking her middle finger up. I rolled my eyes and looked back at Abi.

"Come on, you can't keep doing this. I'm taking you to Madame Pomfrey and getting you the strongest forgetfulness potion that she has." I said, pulling her out of bed and putting on my dressing gown.

"Luna, it's four in the morning! I'm fine, really" Abi protested.

"Bullshit Abi, absolute bullshit. You've haven't been sleeping well for the past two months, and it's the memorial later today, you need to sleep and if you-"

"I WANT TO REMEMBER, LUNA!" Abi yelled "I want to remember what happened and I want to remember how it felt. It's the only think that keeps me knowing that I'm alive. I don't want to forget it"

I stood there, shocked. Abi had never raised her voice at me before.

"I don't want to forget my brother and sister, I don't want to forget the burning of Salem, I don't want to forget the death eater attack and I most certainly do not want to forget the interrogation. If I forget my life will have no purpose, I won't remember the fun times with Ellen and Orion, I won't remember how traumatic it was to be raped and humiliated by death eaters. If I forget those, I'll forget my life." Abi said angrily.

"Wow, Abi, that's really deep" Padma said from her bed in the corner, she was the only one who had followed our conversation from the start to now. "I personally would want to forget, but I fully support your right to be unhappy for the rest of your life if that's what you want."

"Shut up Padma" Abi snapped.

"Is this what you really want?" I asked worriedly "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure" she replied firmly. I shrugged and pulled off my dressing gown, tossing it carelessly over my trunk which sat at the foot of my bed.

"See you in the morning then" said Padma, turning off her lamp and plunging the room into darkness once more.

She denied it later, but long after Xanthea's snores filled the room I could hear her sobbing quietly, indicating to me that I wasn't the only one lying awake.

* * *

In the morning, Abi acted like she hadn't woken up screaming bloody murder earlier, In fact, she acted like nobody had even woken up during the night.

"Come on Luna, we're going to be late, and didn't you say that you wanted to walk down with Neville" Abi called as I sluggishly pulled myself out of bed that morning, after managing to scratch an extra hour of sleep after convincing myself that the nightmares wouldn't come back.

"Give me a sec" I grumbled, stumbling over to the bathroom and splashing cold water on my face to wake myself up. I summoned my robes into the bathroom and pulled them on, ironing out the crinkles in them with my wand as I went.

"Hurry up Luna!" she pushed, "We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago"

"Coming!" I called back, dragging a brush through my hair and whipping it into some sort of semi presentable plait. I grabbed my wand off the side of the sink and hurried to meet Abi, who was jumping up and down with anticipation in the doorway.

"Finally, you took your time" she said, hitting me on the shoulder, thankfully not my bad one. I grunted in reply, still not fully with it.

The castle was empty, everyone else was obviously already down in Hogsmeade for the first anniversary memorial of those who had died in the battle, one year ago. We were obviously late. The ceremony started at eleven and it was ten thirty. My stomach growled in protest as we ran past the great hall and into the entrance hall. We were just slipping out into the grounds when I heard a voice from behind me.

"Luna, can I speak to you please?"

I whipped around, it was a voice I knew only too well, the voice of Hannah Abbott. My palms immediately started sweating and my heart rate increased. I hadn't seen her since the interrogation or spoken to her since the last transfiguration lesson before Abi was kidnapped. Abi too tensed up at the sight of her.

"I- I guess" I stammered

"In private" she said, jerking her head to a chamber off the hall. I froze, there was no way I was going into a room with her alone. Abi seemed to read my mind as she bumped my arm and said,

"Hey, I'll be right outside the door"

I smiled at her gratefully and turned back to Hannah.

"Sure" I replied, walking into the little room, she walked in after me and shut the door. "So, what do you want?" I asked, trying to act nonchalant when really I was scared shitless that she was going to do something to me.

"I want to apologise, for what I did, even if I didn't do it knowingly, I still did it. You're a good kid Luna, you didn't deserve any of that. I'm really sorry" she extended her hand. I didn't take it, I was shocked that she was apologising to me, shocked that she didn't expect me to attack her. "Look, I understand that you probably never in a million years would want to forgive me for what I did, and I don't blame you, but I just need to hear it from your lips that you forgive me, so I can move on with my life."

That last statement made me boil up inside, she wanted my forgiveness just so that she could move on with her life, just so that she could have peace, when I had to live with nightmares, bear the scars and feel the pain of that battle for every day of my life, for as long as I lived. I just couldn't give her that satisfaction, even if she genuinely was sorry. I jumped down off the table that I'd been sitting on and walked towards the door, wrenching it open.

"Luna, where are you-"Hannah started.

"I'll forgive you Hannah, but I'll never forget." I said, before slamming the door shut behind me.

* * *

From my seat in the Hogsmeade service I could see Mrs Weasley crying silently, and of course I knew why. This day marked the anniversary of Fred's death. No wonder Ginny had been so stony the last week, I mentally smacked myself in the head for not remembering. I made a mental note to apologise later. The list of casualties must've set her off. So many people that she had loved had been lost one year ago today.

"And I now call on Harry Potter to remember those who were lost in the Battle of Hogwarts." The little man who had conducted Dumbledore's funeral at the front said. I saw Harry walk up onto the stage and pull out a piece of paper and set it on the podium in front of him, cleared his throat, and began to speak"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Girls and Boys, today marks the first anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. One year ago today people fought against the death eaters, One year ago today, people lost their loved ones, one year ago today we united as the wizarding community and brought down the evilest wizard who ever lived. But I'm not here to talk about that. I'm here to acknowledge those who fought, and those who died. One year ago today, mothers lost sons, brothers lost brothers, sisters lost sisters, sons lost fathers, sisters lost brothers and mother's lost daughters. Most of us sitting here today are still left with the scars that we suffered one year ago, we are no closer to healing now than we were then, and we never will be. But in a world now struggling to heal, it is important that we accept everyone for what they are, Muggle born, Half Blood or Pure Blood, because if we discriminate, we allow the past to repeat itself, and the past must never be repeated. I thank you all for coming today to acknowledge, honour and remember those who died in the Battle of Hogwarts, one year ago today." Harry concluded his speech and walked off the stage.

I felt tears stinging in my eyes, it was then that I realised how much I missed everyone who had died. Tonks, Lupin, Fred, Harry was right, the scars we suffered then are no nearer to healing now, and they never will be. I felt a tear escape my eye and roll down my cheek, turning to see other students who had fought in the battle all crying into their handkerchiefs, remembering the events that had happened.

"Now, If you could all stand for a minute of silence to remember those who gave their lives" the little man in black said, and as one, the entire service stood, bowing their heads as the little timer flipped over, signalling the start of one minute. Silence pressed in from all sides, aside from the occasional sniff from someone who had been crying.

I now understood why Abi didn't want to forget all of the terrible things that happened to her, I never wanted to forget the battle, although it was horrible and something that no one should experience, it also defined a whole part of my life, the part of my life that lead me to Neville, the part of my life that I could tell my children.

"Enjoying yourselves are we?" A drawling voice came from behind the service, magically magnified. Before any of us could turn, the three broomsticks was in flames and people in masks were appearing all over the place. The third battle had begun.

* * *

**AN: Phew, finally got that written. OH MY GHAD! THERE'S ONLY THREE CHAPTERS LEFT! Annd I have them all written, which means if you review they'll come extra extra quick! I'll update when I get 10 reviews, or 1 week, whichever comes first. Sooo, what did you think? Please drop me a line and tell me. It only takes a minute. Holy crap I can't believe I'm almost finished this story! This is insane! **

**There'll be another chapter and then a two part epilogue AND THEN I'M DONE! Oh man I'm really excited, I've never finished a fanfic before! **

**Questions for you to answer**

**Did you think the nightmares were a realistic thing to add in?**

**Did you think that Hannah's apology was sincere enough?**

_**Reviews make the next chapter be full of exciting surprises!**_

**Until Next Time**

**~ The Original Horcrux~**

_©The Original Horcrux (2011-2012)_


	27. Marching On

**Title: **Not Alone, Never Alone  
**Author:** The Original Horcrux  
**Pairing: **Neville/Luna  
**Rating: **T (for violence and coarse language)  
**Date: **14/04/12  
**Words: **4,010

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, big fights, or chunks of dialogue in this chapter**

* * *

_There's so many wars we fought, there's so many things we're not, but with what we have, I promise you that, we're marching on – Marching On _by OneRepublic

* * *

Chapter 27  
Marching On

It was pandemonium, spells were flying everywhere as people with young children disapparated with screams. Hogwarts students and teachers drew their wands and began to battle the people in masks, the death eaters. And on top of all of that, it had started to rain. I felt Abi's hand close around my arm.

"Luna, come on, we have to get out of here" she said, panic lacing her voice.

"No!" I yelled back "I have to find Neville!" I wrenched my arm out of her grasp and sprinted off into the crowd. I ran past Hannah, who was duelling a masked death eater, and Professor McGonagall and Flitwick who were also bringing down one. I saw Neville in the midst of the fight, shooting spells every which way, duelling six death eaters at once. I shot stunners everywhere, hitting a few death eaters who were duelling to their hearts content. I pushed through them to get to Neville, poking my wand wherever I could reach, I was sure that I got a blonde death eater in the eye through his hood and felt momentarily proud of myself, but I had finally reached Neville, who had just stunned a death eater full in the face.

I took over from three of them as Neville shouted.

"Luna, run!"

"Not likely" I said disarming a tall black haired death eater. "I'm gonna kick some death eater butt" I could see him processing my statement as he duelled the two remaining death eaters. I narrowly dodged a flash of green light from the third death eater I was duelling, when he suddenly fell to the ground, revealing Professor McGonagall standing where he was, suddenly engrossed in a battle between the second death eater that I had been duelling.

"Thanks Professor" I called to her

"You're welcome Lovegood" she said, sending the death eater flying as another rushed forward eagerly to take his place.

"Luna" Neville called over the fray, I took my eyes off my opponent, big mistake, a killing curse flew past my ear, I was lucky his aim had been off.

"What" I yelled. I saw him deflect a spell and run over to me. He seized me in his arms and whispered into my ear.

"Marry Me"

I broke away, shocked. I deflected a spell and resumed my duelling.

"I'm not sure now is the best time" I said to him as we came face to face again.

"Now may be the only time" he said, blasting a death eater off his feet and shooting a stunner at another "I love you" I shot a spell over my shoulder as he ducked a curse. "I've made my choice Luna, what's yours?" I stared around. This was not how I imagined getting married, When I'd thought about it, it was always in a sunshine yellow dress in a sunshine yellow room, with sunshine yellow flowers. Basically everything was sunshine yellow. There was no priest to marry us though? It wouldn't feel right to not be married by a priest, that was until I saw McGonagall duelling three death eaters and knew I had to ask her to do it.

"McGonagall" I called and saw her glance over in acknowledgement "Marry us" I saw Neville's shocked expression, which matched McGonagall's.

"I'M A LITTLE BUSY AT THE MOMENT" She yelled back, stunning a death eater while dodging a curse at the same time. Neville and I were forced apart by four death eaters bearing down on us. I stunned two and might've killed the third and fourth, after I blasted them into a nearby wall of a shop.

"McGonagall, now" Neville yelled, shooting a spell at an oncoming death eater as McGonagall jumped out of the way and the curses that were coming for her in either direction missed her and hit the death eater opposite to the one that had cast it.

"FINE THEN" McGonagall yelled back, as another death eater rushed forwards and started to shoot curses at her. Neville and I both had our hands full again. More and more death eaters were coming for us. One jumped on my back and I managed to get him in the eye with my wand before stunning him. Neville had resorted to using the reductor curse which was much more effective when you needed to blast someone out of your way. He took out two as McGonagall, with surprising skill and agility, jumped onto a table outside the three broomsticks. Neville doubled back around and put an arm around my shoulders.

"We are gathered here today" McGonagall began, before having to take down two death eaters. Once again, we were missed narrowly as I ducked as Neville deflected a spell flying in our direction. We were forced apart, duelling death eaters, until there were no more coming at us. We rounded a pole in the middle of the street and came back together.

"Luna Lovegood, do you take me to be your husband?" Neville said, intertwining his fingers with mine.

"I do" I said with a happy smile. Neville looked giddy with happiness.

"Great" he said, ducking a spell and shooting his own back at the caster. I kicked a death eater in the chest, winding him, before blasting him into oblivion. I grabbed Neville's hand as we duelled separate death eaters at once.

"Neville Longbottom, do you take me to be your wife?" He twirled me around as we swapped opponents, defeating them in a heartbeat. "In sickness and in health" We worked together to bring another death eater down. With me shooting a spell at his head and Neville's reductor curse hitting him square in the chest. "With health being the less likely" I yelled as I was attacked by yet another death eater. Where were they all coming from? I looked over and saw McGonagall, still duelling on the table, stun a death eater between her legs, she was incredibly agile for such an old woman. Neville yelled

"I do" as we were forced to separate yet again, to duel another entourage of death eaters.

"As Headmistress I now pronounce you..." McGonagall yelled, breaking off half way through as she was still duelling two death eaters at once. "YOU MAY KISS" she yelled, going back to her duel as Neville and I dealt with our own. Neville grabbed my arm and swung me around. His lips were an inch from mine when a spell shot past our heads and he turned to face the oncoming opponent.

"YOU MAY KISS" McGonagall yelled again, seeing that It still hadn't been done. We kept duelling as McGonagall finished off her millionth opponent. "JUST KISS" Simultaneously, we dealt with our opponents and turned around seized each other in a kiss. It was the most passionate one I had ever been given. There was a million emotions and memories in this kiss. I realised that on this day, a year ago, A seventeen year old boy, who had just helped defeat Voldemort, asked me out. One year later, we were married. Never in my wildest dreams did imagine that I would be married at eighteen. But at least, if I died today, I would die a married woman.

Neville and I ran through the battle, helping out any people that weren't death eaters. I spotted Aline and Phoebe duelling Lucius Malfoy. So he'd decided to get involved with starting the death eaters up again and how the hell did he get out of Azkaban? I shot a stunner at Lucius to help them out, I barely had time to see if the spell hit its mark, as I tripped over a body lying on the ground. I swivelled around to see who it was. The features were hard to distinguish as the body was covered in blood, but there was no mistaking the brown wavy hair and the electric blue eyes that stared blankly up at me, unseeing. Abigail Rowe was dead.

* * *

We sat in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. The battle was over, we had won again, but not without heavy casualties. No Weasley's had been lost this time, but I had lost my very best friend, the person who had helped me through the whole of this year. I sat next to her body, getting a strong sense of déjà vu from this exact scene last year, except we were in the overcrowded hospital wing. The casualties from this year were not as large as last years, there were more injured than dead. Tears ran down my face as I helped a lady from the Hogsmeade service clean the blood and grime off Abi's face. It pained me to do this, but I knew that Abi would want me to. Neville was comforting Aline, who was leaning over a body identical to hers. It seemed like whenever there was a battle, a twin was lost. First it had been Gideon and Fabian Prewett (though they both had died) then Fred Weasley, now it was Phoebe Oakley. The red headed clan of Weasleys plus Harry strolled in and Hermione flung herself into Ron's arms, Ginny mirrored Hermione's movements into Harry's arms. I saw Neville get up and walk over to them. He spoke to George and seconds later, he nodded and walked over to Aline. The rest of the Weasleys split up and went to help out the people tending to the injured. I turned back to Abi as the lady walked off to help a boy who had brought in an unconscious girl. I felt Neville's hand on my back as I gave a small sob.

"She's in a better place" he said softly. I looked up at him, tears blurring my vision. It was hard to believe that he was my husband now. _My Husband _that sounded better than _Professor Longbottom _in my books. I kissed him softly as he rubbed my back.

"I'll miss her" I sobbed, looking down at her pale features, I couldn't believe that she had so very nearly escaped death not only a few months ago, but now she had died. Fate was not kind to the Rowe's.

All of the death eaters that had attacked us at the service had been rounded up and sent back to Azkaban, their attempt to capture some of us and kill the rest had failed. There were so many of them, they just seemed to keep appearing, most of them had gone crazy from spending time in Azkaban and just sat there after we'd rounded them up muttering "_Avenge the dark Lord, Avenge the Dark Lord."_

"I Know" Neville said, looking down at her and pulling the clean white sheet that had been given to us when we brought her in over her dead body. "I'll miss her too"

* * *

"Have you seen Aline?" Neville asked me, some hours later as I splashed water onto my grimy face.

"Not since the hospital wing, why?" I asked, hugging him tightly.

"I'm worried about her, she just disappeared. I think she may have jumped off the astronomy tower or something" he said, kissing the top of my head. "They're getting ready to send Abi's body back to her parents, I've asked them to wait for you"

"Thank you" I whispered into his chest. "But I have to find Aline; can you stall for a few minutes?"

"Of course my love" he said. I kissed him briefly and tore away, up the marble staircase through floor after floor, until I arrived breathless at the astronomy tower at what appeared to be just the right time, as Aline was standing on the very edge looking like she was ready to jump.

"Aline" I said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder as she stared out at the empty grounds from the Astronomy tower.

"Hello Alice" she said sadly, fiddling with her bracelet.

"Are you okay?" I asked as she started to cry. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug. She was the only one of my friends who hadn't been lost to the battle.

"The thing that saddens me the most is that I can't be a tweedle anymore" Aline sobbed "Now that Ph-Phoebe's gone. You and the rabbit have to carry on the tradition Alice" my throat constricted at the mention of Abi's _Alice in Wonderland _name, realising that Aline didn't know about Abi's death.

"The rabbit's dead Aline" I said, my voice choked with a sob. "It's just you and me now..."

Aline let out another sob and buried her face in my shoulder. I stroked her blonde hair and held back tears myself.

"I want to go home Alice" she sobbed, "I want to go away from wonderland, I want to wake up. There are too many bad memories here Alice"

"I know how you feel Aline" I said quietly "I know how you feel"

"I just want to wake up, to know that this is all a bad dream, but it's not Alice, It's not! It's real." Aline sobbed "I've lost Luke, I've lost Abi and now I've lost Phoebe, somebody up there really must hate me"

"You know what Aline, it doesn't matter if somebody up there hates you, you know why? Because there are so many people down here who love you and are ready to support you no matter what." Aline sniffed and looked out over the forbidden forest

"Shall we say go and say a final goodbye to them" I said, holding my hand out. Aline hesitated for a second before taking it. I lead her back inside and back down to the entrance hall where Abi's casket was waiting to be sent back to America.

* * *

"Bye Abi" I whispered as Professor McGonagall waved her wand over the coffin so that it would travel through time and space to find her parents, wherever they were. Tears started to make their way down my cheeks, carving patterns in the grime that was still there from the battle earlier that day.

Aline stood beside me, weeping uncontrollably. If I thought what I was going through was hard, it was ten times harder for Aline, she had lost so many people this year.

I still couldn't believe that Abi was dead, she had always seemed so strong, such a fighter. If anyone deserved to live, it was Abi, but fate had chosen her to die. A song started to play from the wizarding wireless that was playing softly in the corner of the entrance hall as Abi's casket made a gentle whooshing sound and began to fade away.

_When my time comes,  
forget the wrongs  
that I've done  
Help me leave behind some  
Reasons to be missed_

_Don't resent me,  
and when you're feeling empty,  
keep me in your memory,  
leave out all the rest  
leave out all the rest_

I began to wonder if the people controlling the radio knew what the situation was and had played that song accordingly. It was as if Abi was singing to us from the world of the dead, out of the wizarding wireless. Telling us to remember her, to forget what she'd done wrong, and remember what she'd done right. Aline must've heard the song too as she was mouthing the rest of the lyrics to the song as Abi's casket continued to fade in and out of focus as it tried to locate her parents.

_Don't be afraid  
of taking my beating  
I've shed but I'm me_

_I'm strong on the surface,  
not all the way through  
I've never been perfect,  
but neither have you._

"Can I say a few words?" I asked to the people in the room. McGonagall nodded and I stood up.

"Abigail Rowe was funny, witty and strong, she didn't deserve to die as she did. I'm sure that Abi would've wanted us to remember her for the things she did right, rather than what she did wrong, she would want us to think of her as someone who died fighting, not someone who died as a martyr. Goodbye Abi, we'll miss you."

There were murmurs of "Bye Abi" from all around the room as another song played on the wireless. I payed no attention to it but stared at Abi's casket as it faded in and out, still searching for her parents. I turned to Aline who was still crying.

"Hey," I said, patting her leg "It'll all turn out fine, I promise"

"But how can it?" Aline sobbed "Phoebe's d-dead and so is Abi, Mum and Dad are g-going to b-blame me for her death be-because I didn't pro-protect her well enough. My life is over"

"Don't say that Aline! I'm sure that your parents won't blame you! That's not fair, it was the death eater's fault." I exclaimed "We'll be Marching On, alright, for Phoebe and Abi, we have to go on."

"F-For Phoebe and Abi" she said, agreeing with me.

"For Phoebe and Abi" I confirmed. "I promise you that we're Marching On"

With one final _whoosh_ Abi's casket disappeared from the room, obviously having located her parents. She was back where she belonged, with her family in her homeland.

The final line of the song playing on the wireless caught my attention

_So Long, Farewell  
Auf Weidersehen  
Goodbye,  
Goodbye  
Goodbye  
Goodbye_

"Goodbye" I muttered under my breath, saying a final farewell to my best friend, Abi Rowe.

* * *

Aline's mother was crying. So was Aline. The two of them sat in the hospital wing around Phoebe's body crying their eyes out, clinging to each other. Her father, Jeff, seemed to be beyond tears.

"She didn't suffer, did she? "He asked me as I stood there awkwardly.

"No" I replied quietly, "Not at all. It was very quick and painless. I'm really sorry Mr. Oakley"

"You couldn't have done anything to prevent it Luna, m'dear. She's in a better place" he replied "She's with Luke now"

This statement seemed to set him off and he began to cry, tears making their way down his normally smiling face. He joined his wife and remaining daughter at the foot of Phoebe's bed. The Oakley's had suffered more than any family should suffer in a lifetime. Two children dead in one year, the other wounded harshly in a battle that they were still refused the details of. I slipped quietly out of the hospital wing, leaving them to mourn their daughter and sister in peace. They didn't notice me go.

I shoved my hands inside my pockets and turned to walk back to Ravenclaw tower, my mind churning over the events of the second of may last year, and the second of May this year. Both were similar in many, many bad ways, heavy losses on both fronts, many injuries that would heal quickly and many scars that would last forever. I just wished that I could've done something more for Aline. I saw a familiar red headed boy walking through the adjoining corridor.

"George" I called out, running to catch up with him.

"Oh, hey Luna, I was just looking for you. Ginny told me to find you" he said, stopping.

"Oh?" I asked "Why?"

"Haven't you heard? Fleur had her baby, it's a girl and her name is Victorie, Ginny wanted me to tell you that's where she'd gone."

"Oh that's wonderful!" I squealed, before remembering why I had tracked George down in the first place. "George, I have a big favour to ask"

"Name it Luna" George replied.

"There's a girl called Aline, she had a twin sister called Phoebe who died in Hogsmeade today. If it wasn't too much trouble, d'you reckon you could talk to her. Tell her that it gets easier. She's a wreck at the moment" I asked quietly.

"Of course" George replied tenderly. "Well, I already sort of did, but she didn't know that I lost Fred as well, but of course I will, where is she?"

"Hospital Wing with her Mum and Dad, they could probably use the comfort too" I said "Only if you don't mind"

"No, it's fine" he replied "I'll go now"

"Thank you George!" I said "It'll mean a lot to her and her family."

"No problem" he said, setting off in the direction of the hospital wing.

I proceeded in my journey back to Ravenclaw tower, thinking about the events of the past year, the losses, the gains, the tears and bloodshed, but at least it wasn't in vain. Hogwarts still existed and at least half of the families who had lost someone still lived. And I knew that all the fighting hadn't been because the Death eaters were there, and attacking us, all the fighting had been because we had something worth fighting for, our freedom, our world, and the next generation.

* * *

**AN:*tear runs silently down face* I can't believe I just wrote that. I can't believe I just killed off two of my three crazy OC's. I... I'm just so depressed right now. Oh, and for anyone who wants to know, the songs in this chapter are; **_**Leave out All the Rest**_** by Linkin Park and **_**So Long, Farewell **_**from the Sound of Music. **

**Well, on the bright side, there are still two chapters left! They're a two part epilogue with the first part starting three years later and the second part starting fifteen years after that. The quicker you review, the quicker the chapter comes up! Remember 10 reviews or 1 week, whichever comes first**

**Questions  
- Did anyone think that Neville and Luna's wedding was a bit too... unusual (bonus points to you if you can point out where I stole it from)  
- The fight, did it move too quickly, was it unrealistic?  
- Did this chapter move a bit fast for your liking?**

**Until Next Time**

**~The Original Horcrux~**

_©The Original Horcrux (2011-2012)_


	28. The Epilogue Part One: 3 Years Later

**Title: **Not Alone, Never Alone  
**Author:** The Original Horcrux  
**Pairing: **Neville/Luna  
**Rating: **T (for violence and coarse language)  
**Date: **17/04/12  
**Words: **2,278

* * *

The Epilogue Part 1  
_3 years later..._

I brought my baby girl up to my chest. She was absolutely perfect in every way possible. Ten fingers, ten toes, a cute button nose and the most beautiful blue eyes.

"She's beautiful Luna" Neville said, sitting down beside me and kissing my hair softly and wiping away a tear that had escaped from my eye at the sight of my child. Now I really felt like I was complete. I had a husband, and our daughter completed the family. The sound of raised voices was heard from outside the ward we were in, followed by the angry whisper of the Healer.

"Alright you can go in!" she said softly "but keep it down, Mrs Longbottom is very tired. _Très fatigue._" I heard her add in French for Fleur's benefit. I heard the voice of Molly Weasley shushing everyone, before the Healer opened the door. A smile spread across my face as I saw Aline enter the room first, followed by the Weasleys, the Potters, My father and Andromeda and Teddy, his hair bubblegum pink like Tonks' was when she was excited or happy. Of course, as soon as the door was shut the Healer's order to stay quiet was ignored, by adults and children alike. George and Angelina's two year old twins, Roxanne and Fred, burst into shouts of excitement and attacked the bed, scrambling onto it and bouncing up and down on the end, before crawling up to get a glimpse of our new baby. The other adults crowded around my bed, cooing at the beautiful girl in my arms. A heavily pregnant Fleur put two-year-old Victorie on the bed next to Fred and Roxanne and let her hands rest on her stomach as she jabbered away about the best way to get babies to sleep. Soon, my legs were squashed by children as Teddy and Lucy, Percy and Audrey's three year old daughter joined Fred, Roxanne and Victorie.

Neville helped me prop myself up on my pillows as my dad broke through to the front of the throng of people milling around my bed.

"I'm so proud of you Luna" he said, his eyes filled with tears at the sight of his granddaughter. He kissed my cheek and stroked the baby's hair and tickled her stomach lightly. She caught hold of one of his sausage like fingers with her tiny hand. This was too much for dad. He broke into tears as my daughter looked up at him with her innocent baby eyes.

"Can I hold her?" Aline voiced timidly from behind Fleur and Bill.

"Sure" I smiled, passing her to Tweedle-dee and leaning back on my pillows.

She was passed from Aline, to Fleur, to Molly, to Dad, to Audrey, to Angelina and so on, around the circle, before finally, Ginny handed her back to me.

"What's her name?" Lucy chirruped from her position next to Victorie on the bed. Then it hit me that we hadn't named our child.

"I don't know" I said, looking down at her and smiling slightly "We haven't really thought about it, what do you think Lucy?"

"Call her Lucy!" Lucy said and everyone laughed.

"As much as I love the name Lucy" I said kindly to her "I think it'd get too confusing to have another Lucy, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess" Lucy said, looking around at everyone else. Her eyes rested on Teddy, who was staring at Victorie as she fiddled with one of her blonde plaits.

"Call her Teddy!" she yelled and laughter ensued again.

* * *

After asking everyone for at least two names, visiting hours were over and they were told that they needed to go.

"Bye Luna" Aline said, winking at me as she walked out with the rest of my visiting party. I waved back as I leant down to give Teddy a hug before he ran off to join his grandmother. The door swung shut, and we were left in silence once more.

"So" I said, adjusting the baby in my arms "Did you like any of the names?"

"Did you?" He asked, throwing the question back at me.

"I liked Amélie, Elladora and Josephine, but I feel like we should call her Abigail after Abi" I waffled, trying to keep my voice steady as I mentioned my dead best friend

"Can we call her Alice?" he asked me softly, stroking her hair. It hit me like the Hogwarts express. Of course he wanted to call her Alice, after his own mother. The best thing was, It tied in with my seventh year at Hogwarts too.

"Of course we can call her Alice" I said, kissing him on the cheek.

"You get to pick the middle name" he said, relieving me of our new baby Alice.

I laughed and immediately said "Josephine"

"Alright," he said, handing Alice back and waving his wand. A birth certificate and quill appeared out of thin air and he began to write down Alice's details.

_Name: Alice Josephine Longbottom  
D.O.B: 12th March 2003  
Time of birth: 3:47pm  
Mother: LONGBOTTOM, Luna Olivia  
Father: LONGBOTTOM, Neville Frank  
Siblings: None_

"Done" he said with a flourish "everything else will be done by the Healers" he flicked his wand again and the paper disappeared into thin air. He sat down on the bed next to me. It was perfect. We had our little family, Neville, Alice and I.

"So" said Neville as my eyes drooped closed. I'd had a very exhausting day and a half, what with having a baby and about fifteen plus visitors at once. I felt Neville lift Alice out of my arms and help me to lie down. Within seconds, I was asleep.

* * *

Neville was an amazing father, the way he was with Alice was the way I'd only seen him with one other person, me. Alice was his little jewel, his first daughter, who no doubtedly would have him wrapped around her finger for the rest of her life.

When Alice was six weeks old we took her back to St Mungo's to meet her grandparents. I had fallen into the role of motherhood quite well actually, so well that my body clock automatically woke me up at six thirty, two minutes before Alice woke up. When she started to cry, I would get up, change her nappy, feed her and sit outside with her, watching the sun rise over the huge oak tree that sat in our front yard, until Neville woke up.

Under no circumstances was Apparating with a baby allowed, so Neville and I had to take muggle transport to St Mungo's that day, after ruling out the Knight Bus as it was much too dangerous for a newborn like Alice to be riding on. I was worried, of course, that I would leave her somewhere as I'd never been outside with her before, everyone else had come to visit me.

After making sure that Alice was still inside her baby cradle when we got off the bus outside St Mungo's I relaxed a little, knowing that we were at our destination. This was only the fourth time I'd been with Neville to visit his parents, the first time was when we'd first started dating, the second when Neville told his parents that we were married and the third to tell them that I was pregnant.

"Names?" the bored witch at the desk asked.

"Neville, Luna and Alice Longbottom" Neville stated and the witch looked confused.

"Where's the third one?" she asked and I bent down, taking Alice out of her carrier and showing her to the lady behind the desk, who's expression immediately changed from boredom to excitement.

"Oh, she's adorable!" she cooed "How old?"

"Six weeks" I replied, smiling.

"Oh, how cute!" the lady smiled back "have you brought her here for a check up?"

"No" said Neville "To introduce her to her grandparents"

"Oh of course!" said the lady "go right on up Mr and Mrs Longbottom."

"Call me Neville" Neville said to her as we walked out of the reception, "Mr Longbottom is my dad."

* * *

"Mum, Dad, you know how we told you that Luna was going to have a baby?" Neville said slowly as we sat down in the chairs next to their beds. His mother nodded eagerly and his father leaned forward expectantly.

"Well, this is Alice" He said, lifting her out of the baby carrier and cradling her in his arms. Neville's father pointed at his wife and Neville laughed "Yes dad, we named her after mum"

Neville's mum held out her arms and Neville moved to place baby Alice in them.

"Wait" I said "She won't drop her will she?"

"No" Neville laughed "Have a little faith Luna, she Held me without dropping me when I was little."

"Whatever" I murmured, as Neville placed Alice in her grandmother's arms. Frank came over to sit next to his wife as she held Alice so naturally. I looked up from my daughter to see that both Frank and Alice were crying silent tears of joy. Neville wrapped me in his arms in a happy hug when his father raised his head and said one word,

"Proud"

Neville's reaction was instantaneous.

"He spoke" he said incredulously, turning to me and shaking me by the shoulders "Luna, he spoke!"

"I know!" I said happily, hugging him as Frank smiled at his son, opening his mouth again.

"Beautiful" he said, pointing at me and then at Alice "Beautiful Girls."

"Oh my god, he spoke again!" Neville said, tears of happiness streaming down his face. "I can't believe it! All my life I've never heard him speak, and when he sees his first grandchild he talks! Luna this is amazing!"

I felt tears of happiness leaking out of my eyes at the sight of Neville being so happy. I couldn't believe it, they were speaking. The last times that I'd been here, they'd just nodded approval at my marriage to Neville, or excitedly touched my swollen belly when I'd told them I was pregnant, but they'd never actually _spoken_ before. It was amazing. Neville handed Alice back to me so that he could hug both his mother and father. When he'd broken apart, mopping his eyes his mother spoke, like his father, only one word.

"Family" she said, pointing from herself, to Frank, to Neville, to me and to baby Alice. This was too much for Neville, he just sat there and cried his eyes out while I sat there smiling like an idiot until the healer came around.

"Ah, I see that you've found we've been making excellent headway with your parents, Neville" she said as Neville attempted to mop his eyes again. "Oh, and congratulations on your baby, Healer Miller from maternity told me that she was quite a difficult birth"

"She was" I replied, remembering the nineteen hours that I was in labour for.

"The best thing is, If you decide to have another, It's half the time that your first took" the healer said, smiling kindly at me.

"Thank you for everything" Neville said, getting up and hugging the healer.

"Thank me later Neville." She replied "We've only just discovered this cure, the treatment should take about a year and then they'll be right as rain."

"Are you joking?" Neville said "I'll have my parents back!"

"Yes, you will have your parents back." the healer said, before she was engulfed in another hug. I hugged baby Alice and Frank and Alice hugged each other. We were going to be one big happy family.

* * *

**AN: Again, this is not the last chapter! There is still an eighteen years later from the second battle to come and you'll get to meet all of Luna's children, as well as some others that weren't scripted in the epilogue. Hang in there because the chapter's been written and I won't be long before it gets put up. Remember, 1 week or 10 reviews, whichever comes first. I love you all.**

**So what did you all think of Baby Alice? **

**Oh, and who wants to guess how many children Luna ends up having? Closest person to the amount or anyone who gets the exact amount will get an extra special shout out in the next chapter!**

**Until Next Time**

**~The Original Horcrux~**

_©The Original Horcrux (2011-2012)_


	29. The Epilogue Part Two: 15 Years Later

The Dedication of this Fanfic is split seven ways: To Grace, To Luise, To Chloe, To Maddie, To Alice, To Paris and to you, If you have stuck with Neville and Luna until the very end.

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**Title: **Not Alone, Never Alone  
**Author:** The Original Horcrux  
**Pairing: **Neville/Luna  
**Rating: **T (for violence and coarse language)  
**Date: **21/04/12  
**Words: **2,914

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Special Shout out to Superpig909 who guessed the amount of children that Luna had :)

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Epilogue Part 2 _  
15 Years Later..._

"Come on Abi" I called up the stairs, as Neville brought her trunk down, dropping it on his foot in the process. We winced collectively as I juggled my nine year old son, Frank's toy broomstick and my eleven year old daughter, Ella's trunk. There was still no sign of Abi. "Abigail Longbottom, get down here right now!" I called "We're going to be late!"

"Chill Mum" Alice said, coming out of her room, dragging her trunk behind her. A gleaming Prefect badge placed on her lose fitting, long sleeved collared shirt. "She'll be down in a second"

Just as Alice said that, Abi and our dog, Sam, came bolting down the stairs. Abi hadn't even bothered to clean the mud off her pants from playing with Sam this morning.

"Abi" I groaned, pulling her close to me and rubbing at a spot of dirt on her face.

"I cleaned up as best I could! Honest" she said, slightly scared.

"It doesn't matter, get in the car with your sisters, and tell Frank to get out of the tree!" I said, stroking her dirty blonde hair which she had inherited from me. She scurried off to our sunshine yellow Holden, yelling for Frank to come out of the treehouse where he practically lived nowadays. She threw herself into the car which sat in the yard, containing Ella and Alice shouting for us to hurry up.

"Give me that" said Neville, taking Ella's trunk as I adjusted my hold on the broom, I knew Frank wouldn't let me leave without it, he would want to show Lily and Hugo. Neville and I took one last look at the house, knowing that we would probably only return fleetingly in the next few weeks. We spent that much time at the Potters and Weasleys already, but it was tradition that after a child went off to Hogwarts, we would all gather together and have a party. I slid into the passenger seat beside Neville as Frank clambered into the back via the boot.

"Got everything?" I asked the three older girls at large.

"Yes" they chorused back. This was the third time I would have to see one of my children go off to Hogwarts, first it had been Alice, that was five years ago. Now she was a chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team and a brand new prefect. Alice was much like me, with a few of Neville's father's characteristics mixed in, from what members of the Order had told us.

A year prior to this, it had been Abi, named after my dear best friend Abi Rowe, who had been killed by a death eater on the anniversary of the war, when we were all in Hogsmeade having a memorial service. My daughter Abi had inherited much of Neville's personality and forgetfulness, but my looks. Abi lived up to her namesake at Hogwarts, standing up to older students and putting the younger ones in their place, she was a force to be reckoned with in the Gryffindor common room. She even went as far as to speak in an American accent after I had told her the story of Abi and my short friendship during our seventh year at Hogwarts.

This year it would be Ella, sweet, quiet Ella, who didn't seem to have either Neville or my personality or looks. She had soft wavy brown hair, which matched her grandmother Alice's exactly, from what people in the Order had told us, she had her Grandmother's caring and sweet disposition as well. Ella often shied away from her older sisters and kept her head down, preferring to impress us with good grades rather than skill at Quidditch. She was the one I was most worried about, she was so shy that it would probably be a task for her making friends. I was lucky that Rose, Ron and Hermione's daughter, and Albus, Harry and Ginny's son, would be starting this year to keep Ella Company. But through Ella's calm disposition, I could see the excitement mounting as we drew nearer and nearer to kings cross. Alice was slumped in her seat, cleaning her fingernails, and Abi had her nose pressed to the window, hoping for a glimpse of her best buddy and partner in crime, James Potter. Ella was stuck in the middle, unable to get a look out of either window, she was acting nonchalant, but I could see her glancing around furtively as we pulled into a parking spot.

Alice and Neville pulled the trunks out of the boot of the car, which had been magically enlarged to fit the three of them, plus Owls. Neville loaded the three trunks and owls onto trolleys and we made our way towards the barrier.

Alice, Abi, Frank and Neville strolled through without a second glance, but Ella held back, I could see she was apprehensive about the situation that lay before her. I wordlessly walked over to Ella and placed a hand on her shoulder, she looked up at me with a small smile.

"Together" I said. She nodded and we pushed her trunk through the barrier.

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"I won't, I won't be in Slytherin" I heard an insistent familiar voice arguing from somewhere in front of us.

"James give it a rest" I heard the voice of Ginny Potter say, I whirled around and sure enough, there she was, with Harry and her youngest daughter, and my goddaughter, Lily. She hadn't seen Ella and I yet.

"I only said he might be" I heard James' sly voice reply, followed by a loud giggle, which I knew too well, Abi had found James.

"Hi Lily" I said softly in Lily's ear, she jumped and turned around, her face cracking into a wide smile as she did so.

"Hi Auntie Luna" she said into my shoulder. I greeted the rest of the Potters, Ella was clearly glad to have found someone to talk to as she and Albus had an animated discussion about what house they would be sorted into when they reached Hogwarts.

"I'm not sure, seeing as Alice is in Ravenclaw and Abi is a Gryffindor, I suppose it doesn't matter, Mum and Dad weren't in the same house" Ella said quickly from behind us as Abi and James strolled up ahead to put their trunks on the train.

"D'you reckon they'll end up going out?" Ginny asked, staring after her oldest son. I laughed, It was a funny thought, the Potter's son and the Longbottom's daughter getting together.

"Maybe" I said, but was cut off by a squeal from Ella.

"Mum! Look over there, it's Rose and Hugo!" she said, tearing off towards the flaming red hair of the Weasleys, Albus in tow.

"I guess we've found them then" I said to Ginny, as Lily ran off after her older brother and godsister towards her cousins.

As we made our way towards Ron and Hermione, I spotted a certain blonde haired man that I wasn't likely to forget in a hurry. Draco Malfoy, and his son.

"Hi Luna" said Hermione, leaning over to give me a hug. I hugged back as Ella and Albus grilled Rose about what house she wanted to be in.

"Hi Hermione" I replied, as Neville appeared at my side with Frank, who snatched the broomstick from my hands and went to show it off to Hugo and Lilly. Neville walked off to farewell Alice and Abi, who I spotted a few feet away, getting onto the train.

I felt a pair of hands cover my eyes and turned around, thinking Neville had doubled around to surprise me. I gasped at the sight of the person who stood before me.

"Hi Luna" she said with a smile.

"Aline!" I gasped, hugging my old friend "I feel like I haven't seen you since Alice was born" I said and Aline laughed.

"You haven't. I moved to Australia the year after Alice was born, but we came back when Phoebe turned ten because she has to go to Hogwarts next year" Aline smiled before quickly changing the topic. "You and Neville still together then" she said, gesturing to Frank, who was chattering away to Lily about his broom.

"You can tell he's yours" she whispered

"Oh yeah, Introductions" I said, still flustered "Well, that's Frank, he's nine" Frank continued to talk, oblivious to the fact that I was trying to introduce him to someone. "That's Ella over there, she's starting this year" I said pointing to my youngest daughter, who was chattering nonstop to Rose and Albus. "That's Alice, the new Ravenclaw prefect" I pointed out my eldest daughter to Aline "and that's Abi, little miss get-in-trouble-to-annoy-my-parents"

"Abi?" said Aline softly "named after..."

"Yeah" I cut her off, feeling a lump rising in my throat. It had been eighteen years, but I could still remember finding Abi dead as though it was yesterday.

"Well, this is Phoebe and Iris" she said, stepping aside to reveal her children. "They're not starting this year, but Phoebe wanted to see her cousins off" I was just about to ask about her husband when Phoebe started squealing.

"Mum!" she said, tugging on Aline's arm "Look there they are!"

"Well, gotta go" said Aline, allowing herself to be dragged away by her daughters. "We should catch up..." her statement was lost in the crowds.

Hugo, Lily and Frank were trying to intrude on their older sibling's conversation as I hastily rushed off to say goodbye to my daughters. Alice was waiting, with Dominique, her best friend since birth, dutifully by the entrance where I always said goodbye to her before she went to join her friends on the train.

"Bye Alice" I said, pulling her into a one armed hug. It was difficult, seeing as she was about a foot taller than me. "Be good, don't die playing quidditch, you gave your father and I a shock when you fell off in the final last year"

"Yeah well" she mumbled "that was Parkinson's fault" I laughed and hugged her again.

"I'll miss you, take care of your sisters, make sure Abi and James don't get into too much strife and make sure Ella doesn't get teased by any Slytherins"

"Always do mum" she replied with a laugh, stepping onto the train and waving goodbye. I waved back before moving along the train to where Abi stood, hugging Neville goodbye. As I walked over towards him and Abi, I saw someone that made my heart freeze, Hannah Abbot, standing with her husband and children, a boy and two girls, just a few feet away from Abi and Neville. She had seen me, I could tell because she was glowering in my direction. It seemed like our whole conversation in chamber off the hall before the Hogsmeade service all those years ago had meant nothing to her. I genuinely forgave her, but I couldn't forget what had happened.

"Be good this year alright Abigail" I said sternly, It was a speech I gave her last year, but to no avail, I'd got about ten letters from McGonagall saying that Abi had been in some sort of toilet related incident, or that she'd been caught dropping dungbombs in the corridors.

"Who says I'm not good?" Abi said indignantly, before hugging Frank, who had bounded up to say goodbye. "Bye Frankenstein" she said, using her affectionate name for her younger brother, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

"I'm serious Abi; I don't want any letters this year about dungbombs or stink pellets"

"I'll refrain from doing so" Abi smiled, giving both Neville and I a hug before tearing off after James, who had rushed onto the train to get a compartment.

The train had started to billow steam now as Neville and I tore back towards where we'd left The Potter-Weasley clan with Ella, she was looking quite lost as Rose said goodbye to her parents and Hugo, and Albus said goodbye to his parents and Lily. Glancing over, I saw Hannah giving her two children a hug and sending them onto the train. They were already in their robes, with no tie... they were first years, With Ella.

"Ella" I said, grabbing her in a hug "those girls over there, the ones in their robes"

"Yeah what about them?" she said, hugging me tightly back.

"stay away from them, they're trouble" I said and my youngest daughter nodded. We walked briskly over to the train and I started to give Ella my pre- going to Hogwarts talk. "Be good, don't duel anyone till you've learned how, keep Abi out of trouble if you can, stick around your family, remember to make friends and get good grades" Ella nodded as she processed all of this information. I bent down and gave her another hug "I'm counting on you Eleanor Phoebe Longbottom"

"Mum" she groaned at the use of her full name and I smiled

"Have fun Ella" I called as she jumped on the train after Albus and Rose.

"Bye Mum" she yelled back out of the window as she sat down in a nearby carriage. I felt Neville's arm slip around my waist as the train started to chug out of the station. I saw Rose, Albus and Ella waving out of the window. I waved back as tears clouded my vision and I pulled Frank towards me. I waved until the train rounded the bend and was out of sight. I hated seeing my girls go off to Hogwarts, I didn't like the feeling of knowing I couldn't hug Ella if she had a nightmare, I couldn't comfort Alice if the Slytherin's gave her a hard time, and I couldn't scold Abi for playing in the mud.

"They'll be fine" Neville whispered "I know they'll be"

"I know" I said, wiping my eyes. Well, I guess I had to look on the bright side, there was still another two years until we had to see Frank go.

It was hard to believe, here I was, a grown woman, married to a man that I had first met when I was fourteen, a man who had kissed me the morning after the battle, The man who has and would love me forever.

All was well.

_The End_

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**Well, that's the end of Neville and Luna's story. I hope all of you enjoyed it! I certainly enjoyed writing it. It's so hard to believe that I started writing this story the day after DH2 came out. I remember the exact moment that I went "ding" I'm writing a fanfic about this. Now, before anyone asks, there will be no sequel. The closest thing to a sequel that I will be writing is my Scorrose fic **Light of Day **which will feature Ella Longbottom as Rose's best friend. The story will mostly revolve around Scorpius and Rose, but Ella will have her fair share of time in the story, one of my minor plots revolves around her actually. **

**Now! After writing this, I have officially become addicted to the Neville/Luna pairing, and have already started writing a story set in fifth year from Neville's perspective called **Her Name is Luna** and it will be uploaded once it is finished. As I learned my lesson with this that people don't like to be kept waiting for the next chapter. While you're waiting for that to come out, you could fill in the time by reading **Light of Day** and **Kiss. **Which have become my new priority fics.**

**Little mini promo here: superpig909 has written a Neville/Luna fic called "The Loon and the Klutz" which I beta, and it is absolutely amazing. She doesn't have many followers, so if you could go and find the story, read it and review it I'm sure it would mean the world to her. You can find it in my favourites. Thanks dears. **

**Anyway, enough of my rambling I really hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. **

**Potter On**

**~The Original Horcrux~**

_©The Original Horcrux (2011-2012)_


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